T-Mobile adds new 5G hotspot, 'limited time' $50 plan for 100GB of data
T-Mobile has a new device for its 5G network that isn't a phone or tablet.
T-Mobile's new Inseego 5G hotspot.
T-Mobile's 5G network is expanding beyond phones and tablets . On Thursday the nation's second-largest carrier announced that it has added the Inseego 5G MiFi-M2000 mobile hotspot to its network, its first 5G-capable hotspot.
The Inseego device is available now for $336. While not the flashiest mobile hotspot, it has a 2.4-inch color touchscreen and 5,050-mAh battery, and it supports broadcasting with the recent Wi-Fi 6 standard. It charges through a USB-C port, and the large battery on the MiFi can allow the device to double as a portable charger for powering other devices.
Up to 30 devices can connect to the Inseego at one time. If 5G isn't available, the hotspot will fall back to use T-Mobile's 4G LTE network.
T-Mobile says the device can tap into its Extended Range 5G (its new name for low-band 5G) as well as its Ultra Capacity 5G networks (the new name it uses for both midband and higher-frequency millimeter wave 5G). Although the latter brand combines multiple 5G flavors the hotspot will only support low-band and midband 5G, which T-Mobile has more widely deployed around the country.
To coincide with the new hotspot, the carrier is also adding a new "limited time" hotspot plan that will offer 100GB of high-speed data for $50 per month (assuming you also use automatic payments). T-Mobile touts that a rival $50 plan from Verizon only gets 5GB per month of hotspot data, while AT&T's similarly priced hotspot offering only has 15GB per month.
For those who don't need 100GB, the carrier is offering a variety of hotspot plans, ranging from $5 per month for 500MB up to that $50 per month plan. After you use up your high-speed data, however, your connection will slow to "2G speeds" until the month resets.
It was not clear when the "limited time" promotion will end, though a T-Mobile spokesman says that those who get the plan can keep it for "as long as they choose."
See also: Verizon vs. AT&T vs. T-Mobile compared: How to pick the best 5G carrier for you
