I use T-mobile on a Samsung Galaxy S-III, bit easier to activate the HotSpot and yes I did password protect it (You might have mentioned WHY you choose a password.. I do not wish others burning up my allotment.. One phone with 6.5 Gig high speed and unlimited watch grass grow is slightly rounded 100 dollars.. A good price, but you might not be able to get that.
I do not know how well the coverage is without checking.. I happen to belong to the anti-verizon crowd (Had too much experience with them and the companies that merged to form them) (Joke omitted).
OH.. By the way.. This message brought to you via T-Mobile and my S-III's hotspot.