If you want reasonable reliable service for less money, then pick one of the second tier providers that leases bandwidth from one of the big three. Service may be hit or miss and roaming is common, but you can get a bunch of gigs for less than $50 a month.
If you really need to be connected, go Verizon. Any of the smart phones they provide will act as a WiFi hotspot. When I switched to Verizon (from Sprint) they gave me a free tablet that I use for a hotspot and an RV GPS. My VZW bill is around $250 a month for 4 devices and 16 gig. They just started a one month carry over plan. I've always had service.
