Connect with a Personal Hotspot
In addition to a Wi-Fi radio, every smartphone and some tablets contain a built-in modem that lets them access high-speed mobile data networks. Early in the smartphone era, manufacturers took advantage of pairing the two together so you could use Wi-Fi to route traffic via the cellular data modem.
This took a lot of twists and turns in terms of cell carrier service plans, options, overages, and throttling, but most smartphones and some tablets (those with cellular modems) can act as personal hotspots for a few or many other devices, whether laptops or other phones and tablets.
While “personal hotspot” implies a Wi-Fi hotspot connection, many phones and tablets can also use Bluetooth or USB to extend access to ...
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