Verizon Wireless Hotspots?

No advantage to a hotspot over a phone.

Verizon's unlimited data will throttle you back when you are in a heavy-data-traffic area and you are over something like 20GB.

The hotspot is just another device on your plan. There will be a device fee for it, $10 or $20. If you are streaming video, you need unlimited data anyway, so no point in having multiple plans.

In your shoes, I would just buy or keep an older dedicated phone for data streaming, for convenience. Then if a phone gets lost/stolen/broken, you can use the older phone instead of being without.

No. Speed is speed. In other words 4G is 4G newer MIFIs are 4G. Newer smart phones are 4G.
Verizon claims that smart phones dont hold up well when used as a mobile hotspot. But a MIFI is nothing different than a dumb basic phone?
Generally speaking even a MIFI running on 4G network is still pretty slow. Streaming can be done, but you may not be too happy with it.
Yes, MIFI is going to use the data on either your plan or if it is the only device, then it will use its plan data.

Streaming takes a huge amount of data and streaming in HD uses much more than non-HD.

Yes, Verizon throttles their hotspot devices after a certain #of GB.

Learn from the experts here: https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/

Some of their articles are for paid members only, but there is a lot of valuable free info on the site also.

22gb, actually. at least that's what it was in late January. but...if you have multiple devices on the unlimited plan your laptop can be tethered to EACH device for 22gb of 4g data. we have 4-devices and could stream 22gb of data from each device to our laotop. if you're viewing the video on your device then i think the 4g data truly is unlimited. but i could be wrong about that. check with verizon.

bowler1 wrote:
plan to use a streaming video service through the internet.

That will get very expensive.

Been seeing ads for Airborne internet. Looks interesting. Dunno if that's up now or would be cheaper.

coolmom42 wrote:
No advantage to a hotspot over a phone.

In your shoes, I would just buy or keep an older dedicated phone for data streaming, for convenience. Then if a phone gets lost/stolen/broken, you can use the older phone instead of being without.

I am sorry but I beg to disagree entirely... HotSpot like the NETGEAR Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile AC791L is optimized for DATA and Speed. It is not an OLD phone and does not work like a phone. Please look at the Data Specification.
The AC791L will have a much better reception in 4G and LTE than any existing phone given the same available signal. Additionally, you can buy reasonable internal antennas that will give you up to 7DB gain. Please check at the NETGEAR site and Amazon.
I have 2 iPhone 7s and there are several locations where I use the AC791L to be able to receive calls (over wi-fi) because the iPhone have very weak signal. I also have a pair of 7DB gain internal antennas that I normally attach to the AC791L when the signal is weak.

The limitation on the data plan and high consumption in HD is correct.

I have always used my phone mobile hot spot to my laptop. I was on limited data and as it ran out they would text type YES if you would like to increase your data by 2G for $10 more or you will be charged$15.

So we never watched videos and while out in the boonies I would go up to about 20 or something and a couple hundred bucks. Recently I went with the unlimited and it was slow slow slow so I called them and they said it's because so many people are on it in my particular area.

Although I'm in a larger city the map shows poor coverage. On their recommendation I went to "beyond" unlimited and it's been pretty good. Not perfect but usually works. Videos stall sometimes but not terrible. I don't know how much data I have used but the bill was $208 for two smart phones.

I probably won't turn on the internet when I get home so that saves minimum on time of 6 months x $35 per month.

As an afterthought you may be much better off going with Sat for your TV viewing. Dish offers a month to month pay as you go.

We fired Direct TV 1 1/2 years ago and have been streaming with a Verizon Jet Pack ever since. We are quite content with the service and very happy with the cost reduction of about $150/month. We got ROKU for the TV which gives us access to so many stations I can't count them. Sitting here now, watching the Cleveland Cavs play the Raptors. Yes, the Jet pack is 4G and our reception is fine with that. After 22GB Verizon throttles is back after that. You do notice some hesitation from time to time, but it is watchable.

If you're a member of FMCA, they have a deal with Verizon Wireless a jetpack hotspot for $1 and $50 a month for unlimited data. After 25gig they throttle.

Set up a separate account for this deal using an email address that VZW doesn't kow. Trying to get it put onto you existing VZW account is a nightmare. Ask me how I know :(