Skip to main content

Staying connected on the road is always tough and there are so many opportunities to waste money. Do you spend $9.95 for 24 hours of internet access in your hotel? Do you pay for a subscription at a place like Starbucks and continually stop to check email before hurrying back out? If you are around other family members or business colleagues, do you all pay for your own connections? That gets expensive!

Novatel Wireless has released a product through Verizon and Sprint that is sure to turn a head or two called “MiFi.” It is a device the size of a few stacked credit cards that uses mobile broadband to create a WiFi network accessible to up to five devices! Unlike Bluetooth tethering (if you happen to be one of the lucky few that has a compatible phone / cell plan), the MiFi has a built-in battery that can broadcast a protected Wi-Fi signal for over four hours and every device connected to it can talk to one another and share files in the same way they can with a standard wireless router. A built-in Micro-SD card reader allows you to store and share up to 16GB of files. Available through Virgin Mobile, Sprint, Verizon and a few other carriers, the MiFi is offered at a deep discount when signing up for the mobile broadband plan needed to operate. Head to the Novatel site first to learn more and pick your carrier.