I am loving this "Millenicom"

[havasu]

We have been used to Cable Internet in the stick house and so moving into the RV as fulltimers but still working Internet based jobs, I found that we were getting very restricted Internet services from campground WiFi. Especially as more and more of the stuff that we use is now "cloud based" and relies upon having a healthy chunk of bandwidth.

Initially I set up the AT&T phone as a hotspot and applaude AT&T on their excellent coverage and speed - but 4GB just isn't enough for what we need.

Campgrounds vary significantly and all of them become almost unusable after 4pm when everyone needs to get online.

I then looked at Millenicom and they have a 20GB package with a hotspot on Verizon and I have heard good things about Verizon services. However, after monitoring a day's worth of use, I realized that we need around 1GB a day for everything that we do work wise.

So after some investigation, I purchased a Sprint Tri-Fi hotspot from eBay and signed up with the Millenicom BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) which operates on the Sprint network and has 'unlimited' bandwidth for $70 a month. Of course it isn't unlimited at all but capped at 50GB a month which is more than adequate for us.

I was worried about Sprint as they don't have a good reputation and my cell phone is on Sprint and suffers terribly - but the Tri Fi can switch between 3G - 4G - 4G WiMax and 4G LTE and so regardless of where we are, we can get some sort of service. In Memphis we have 4G LTE and in Nashville we have found that although they are rolling out LTE, the WiMax signal is stronger and giving us 4MBps speeds.

A 50GB data plan with AT&T or Verizon would cost over $350 a month so bravo Millenicom!

[The_Texan]

Here is Millenicom answer, just minutes ago....

14:05:06 Thank you for contacting us. An operator will be with you shortly...
14:05:06 Visitor: How long are customers allowed to suspend use....This is for a Canadian snowbird that is in the states only 5 months a year.
14:05:28 Operator Nathaniel joined the chat
14:05:37 Nathaniel: Hello and thanks for using online chat. My name is Nate
14:05:49 Visitor: Looking specifically at the Verizon 4620 hotspot
14:05:55 Nathaniel: To answer your question, vacation is 3 months at most
14:06:13 Nathaniel: Cancellation is easier for time longer then that and so its just an activation fee + monthly
14:06:33 Visitor: can it then be activated for 1 mointh, then suspended for 3 more?
14:06:51 Nathaniel: No, 3 months per year
14:07:06 Visitor: thanks

[havasu]

joebedford wrote:
Do any of these $70 per month plans let you "go on vacation" (suspend service and cost)? I can only use USA internet for about 5 months per year. Don't want to pay $70 for no service for the other 7 months.

Well they are month to month so worst case is that you cancel and then restart when you need it - I think I remember reading on their site that it was $19 to restart.

[joebedford]

Do any of these $70 per month plans let you "go on vacation" (suspend service and cost)? I can only use USA internet for about 5 months per year. Don't want to pay $70 for no service for the other 7 months.

[havasu]

If you need more bandwidth then you can purchase multiple Millenicom accounts - so if you need 40GB on VZ then you buy 2 accounts, or 100GB on Sprint, for $140 a month.

[Maxi_Signal]

strollin wrote:
I had an unlimited Millenicom plan a few years back on the Sprint network and it was terrible so cancelled it. Unlimited was a joke since, if you exceeded 20G, they sent you notices that you should keep your usage to below 20G.

I recently looked into Millenicom with a MiFi on the Verizon network. Data cap of 20G, I asked what the charge per Gig was if 20G was exceeded and was told there was no charge, they just cut you off at 20G. That was a deal breaker for me.

You get warnings on the Sprint plan when you exceed 50 GB not 20 GB Works great for 95% of people . Some people just can't use it due to their needs . Those that require excess data have to deal direct with Verizon and pay lots of extra money for needed use over the amount Millenicom can provide . This is due to their deal with Verizon . But for most of us it is the best deal out there. Sorry you are the 5% exception but that is hardly Millenicom's fault.

[strollin]

I had an unlimited Millenicom plan a few years back on the Sprint network and it was terrible so cancelled it. Unlimited was a joke since, if you exceeded 20G, they sent you notices that you should keep your usage to below 20G.

I recently looked into Millenicom with a MiFi on the Verizon network. Data cap of 20G, I asked what the charge per Gig was if 20G was exceeded and was told there was no charge, they just cut you off at 20G. That was a deal breaker for me.

[Learjet]

Just got my Mifi 4620LE from Millenicom and the "hotspot" plan.

Very easy sign up and really quick shipping.

Works just as good or better than my 4510 from Verizon.

Speeds are the same!!!

Yahoooooo!

:B:B:B

[wittmeba]

The Texan - I suspect you are using Speedtest.net for the test. It really doesnt mean much other than when you are comparing your plan A to your plan B.

To compare from various locations or with another forum member from another location and/or using different server doesnt fairly compare results.

[Learjet]

Been on Verizon Hotspot for almost 2 years, running 15 gigs per month $$$$ thank to the DW.

I need to change as my contract is ending. No other options at home except dial up or Sat. So the Mifi has been great and it has been nice traveling with it also.

Been reading about Millenicom for a while, and now I can't decide between getting the 20g plan from them (verizon) or getting the usb device with craddle for 50g plan (sprint). The maps show I have Sprint 4g LTE coveage at home, but I just don't know what it will be like when I'm not at home. I expect 3g, but can't decide....help:h

[havasu]

RoyB wrote:
I guess you are saying this is a USB stick thing that plugs into a USB port of some high SPEED wireless router box that is capable of working with SPRINT 3G 4G 4g WIMAX and 4G LTE. Only works with SPRINT which we have zero service here we live for SPRINT cell phones...


This is all you used to create your SPRINT 10 device HOTSPOT. Where does the USB MILLENICOM ANTENNA thing plug in... All of this for $19 for the USB unit and $69.99 for the service a month. You provided the SPRINT TRI-FI HOTSPOT small unit which I think cost around $199 outright from Sprint brand new......

Explain to me all that you hooked up to make all of this work - Im getting somewhat interested in more data... I'm missing something here..

I guess the Verizon JET PACK which uses something like the MIFI unit just doesnt have the large amount of data to use... I think it is around $69 a month as well...

If we had SPRINT service here at home this sounds like a good deal... Im surprised since Millenicom uses both SPRINT and VERIZON services that they dont have something similar to this that is on the Verizon network.

Guess I need to read up on it more... We could live big time on 10GB a month I think... I'm doing great now with the Verizon MIFI 3GB per month thing... I havent been anywhere yet the Verizon didnt work for us. Even in GOBER, TX it worked haha...

Roy Ken

OK, some confusion here - the USB device on the ad is just a representation of a device.

I purchased a used Sprint Tri-Fi unit with a clean ESN from eBay for $49 and then registered it on the Millenicom BYOD service for their $69 a month package - this gives UNLIMITED (actually 50GB) a month on the Sprint network. The device can pick up any of the 4 sprint services - 3G 4G 4G WiMax and 4G LTE depending upon what is available. I have found that you need to go into the admin settings and fix the service to one or the other if more than one are available - otherwise it hunts for them, dropping the connection as it switches back and forth but it's no biggie.

Services on the Verizon network are limited to 20GB however but you may have better coverage as Verizon is a much larger and better network than Sprint.

[The_Texan]

Checking the reviews on the Mifi 2200, it appears to be 3G ONLY....Here is a snip from one review, "The totally pocketable 3G / WiFi router. We saw about 1.5 to 1.8Mbps down and 350 to 400kbps up while using the MiFi in downtown Chicago."

[Bill_Satellite]

Not sure what you are reading unless the 2200 is 3G only and the 4510 is 3G/4G but if the 2200 can't do 4G then you certainly want the 4G capable MiFi.
Just don't expect to EVER see 100MB as a download speed. 4G average download speeds are somewhere in to 10-15MB.

[RoyB]

Bob - I think I found my answer... The MIFI2200 download speed is about 1.7Mbps and the MIFI4510L is 100Mbps. That is what I need I bet...

[The_Texan]

Just checked and the "ping time" is 99 ms, download is 11.5 mbps and upload is 7.8 mbps. This, while setting in Sturgis where the "normal" population is <7K but currently over 300K and growing by another 100K or 200K over the next 2 days. I have seen speeds of more than double those numbers and in our small mountain town of 900 in western Idaho, the "norm" is well above these numbers.