The MiFi 4082: A Viable Replacement for Wired Broadband in the Home?
URGENT NOTICE, OCT 23th 2011: Sprint has just announced the end of "Unlimited Data" 4G. This means that normal monthly download/upload limits of 5 to 10GB will now apply to all existing and new customers of their mobile broadband data plans (does not include sprint smartphones or iPhones). Mobilehotspot.com, understands Sprint's need to manage it's network impact, but disagrees to the across-the-line termination of "unlimited 4G data". MobileHotspot.com no longer can recommend the MiFi 4082 for Sprint WiMAX to users with high volume data bandwidth.
Can you save up to $1000 per year by swapping your existing Cable Broadband with Sprint MiFi 4G? We take a look...
A new debate arises after the release of the new generation of 4G mobile hotspots, such as the MiFi 4082 4G Mobile Hotspot . Can wireless broadband technology upstage the tried and tested wired home broadband connections? Is the MiFi 4G device a feasible replacement for your home's wired cable modem, FIOS, or DSL connection? If so, what features and benefits would be sacrificed, and what is the potential cost savings?…in other words, it may be possible, but is it “worth it”?
The MiFi 4082 4G mobile hotspot by Novatel is sold by Sprint along with their Unlimited 4G Data plan in the United States. The 4082 hotspot has an effective indoor range of about 40 feet within typical homes with wood and drywall construction. On the road, it has a battery life of up to four hours with continuous usage and forty hours in standby. In the case of the assessing the practicality of replacing an existing stationary, wired broadband connection, the battery life is not really a factor, as it will usually be AC powered.
The MiFi 4082 connects to Sprint’s 4G WiMax 4G wireless network and transforms the 4G (or 3G) signal into a standard Wi-Fi signal – exactly like the Wi-Fi access point you’re likely have in your home now. The MiFi 4082 mobile hotspot is a clear winner outside of the home where it been battle tested, so in an effort to compare "apples-to-apples" ,the merits and detractions of each solution must be carefully compared. When the question of whether or not Sprint’s 4G service can offer a viable replacement for wired broadband, the answer seem yes “on paper” as well as based on theory – but theory rarely equates to reality, so will the 4082 hold up in the real world use of a typical family?
The Need for Unlimited 4G Data Plan
The reason we chose the Sprint MiFi 4082 as a candidate that could potentially replace a wired broadband is the fact that Sprint is the only carrier that truly offers unlimited use 4G. We did not consider T-Mobile’s hotspot and data plan, as their “Unlimited” plan is actually severely limited (in our opinion), especially in regard to a possible substitute to fixed, wired broadband.
Without unlimited use high speed (4G), it would hardly be worth the effort to consider a plan with limited (such as 5GB per month) use and overage fees. For home broadband use, we’re talking about relying on the mobile hotspot to serve up it’s own “Triple Play” (Video, Voice, Internet) for the entire family. For those who are new to the term, that means a setup where we connect a VOIP Phone system like Vonage or Skype, an IP-TV solution like Netflix or Hulu Plus over Roku or Apple-TV, and finally up to three users who connect to the web directly through the MiFi 4082.
Price and Best Data Plan or Home Broadband
The data service plan for the Sprint MiFi 4082 Mobilehotspot range from $60 to $90 per month. As mentioned, 4G is served up in a “as much as you can eat” buffet each month. The difference in the data plan price points is simply for the 3G usage. For 60 bucks, you are allowed 5GB per month of 3G usage and 10GB or 3G for 90 bucks. A prerequisite for considering the 4082 Mobile Hotspot as a the virtual nucleus of your internet connected world at home is contingent on the presence of a strong and consistent 4G signal where the hotspot will be installed.
With that assumption, there’s no reason to subscribe to anything higher then the $60 plan, since you will not likely be relocating the hotspot to areas of questionable 4G coverage – in other words, for the majority of the time, the hotspot will say in a fixed location with a steady 4G signal presence – and consume a small, predictable volume of 3G bandwidth
Cost Savings vs Wired Broadband
In order to figure out the if swapping out your wired broadband for a MiFi 4082 running on Sprint’s 4G WiMax, it must be weighed against the “normalized” cost of a typical cable providers “Triple Play” offering. Cable companies are famous for getting households hooked on their TV-Phone-Web (Triple Play) packages. The reason is they almost always offer their triple-play bundle at $90 to $100 per month. The caveat is that the price is fixed at under a hundred bucks for the first year only. On month 13, the rates jump up to an average around $160 to $190 per month! For this comparison, we’ll figure $175 per month.as the normalized monthly cost for the cable operators triple play package,.
For comparable services that can be used with the MiFi 4082 4G hotspot, let’s break it down with one closely comparable bundle, with the cost factored across one year. This bundled cost assumes the upfront price of the 4082 hotspot at 150 bucks.
(Typical) Upfront cost of the MiFi 4082 hotspot $150
12 Months Sprint 4G @ $60 per month $720
12 Months Premium Skype VOIP @ $9 per month $108
12 Month Netflix Streaming or movies @ $8 per mo. $96
12 Months Hulu+ for network TV shows @$8 per mo. $96
TOTAL YEARLY COST: $1,170
Now, compared to the yearly cost of a fixed broadband triple play from a cable provider @ $175 per month = $2,100
The potential net savings from switching from wired broadband to wireless 4G with the Sprint 4082 4G Mobile Hotspot is $930 per year. Not too bad!
Advantage and Disadvantages of Wireless Broadband 4G vs. Cable/FiOS
Advantages:
- Upward of $1000 per year total savings easily possible
- Flexibility to easily move the mobile hotspot as needed and where needed.
- Take your broadband with you on vacations or trips…what good is broadband at home if you’re not there to use it?
- Data-Only (4G) plans from wireless providers are often subject to less taxes and fees than FCC imposed surcharges that are typical with voice/telephony services.
Disadvantages
- Will need to rely on digital antenna for local Live TV
- Little or no regularly scheduled TV shows, limited to streaming shows and on-demand features. Loss of cable providers own channels, such as local news.
- Slower Speeds: Sprint’s 4G WiMAX typically offers 3 to 6 Mpbs download speeds, compared with 10+ Mbps of cable broadband.
- Wireless 4G WiMAX is more susceptible to interruptions due to severe weather than wired broadband.
- Will need a patchwork of various services and companies to put your own “triple play” equivalent together. Separate billing, accounts, and setup can be a hassle.
Speed Expectations: 4G WiMAX vs. Cable
The MiFi 4G will deliver around 3 to 6 Mbps download speed, however, in dense urban areas, you may see around half that speed. Cable modems are generally 10 Mbs or more, while FIOS is around 25 Mbps. The speed winner on face value is clearly wired broadband. Though network and cable companies cringe at the contention, but the practical reality is that not everyone needs 10+ Mbps download speeds. Remember browsing in the web in the late 1990's with a 56K modem? It may sound ridiculous, but for regular, everyday "web stuff" (such as Facebook, e-mail, andTwitter) 56K (that 0.05 Mbps) is not too as slow as you might assume. Not counting video, music and multimedia related content, the average website need far less bandwidth than the typical site in 2001 did. Not that we are in any way saying the 56K is a workable speed for today’s digital lifestyle, far from it – we just wanted to make the analogy clear that you often could do with far less bandwidth than you might believe – and you may not even notice it.
This is due to the explosion of mobile devices accessing the web. Web engineers design and optimize the web’s user interactivity with the least-common-denominator of the average wireless mobile user in mind. Bottom line, you probably need far less bandwidth that you imagine.
Take this example to mind: The Sprint 4G WiMAX running at 4 Mbps can perform all of the following at the same time:
1. Steam a movie in HD to Xbox or PS3 (~1.5 Mbps rate)
2. Two way high quality phone call over Vonage (0.15 Mbps)
3. Two users surfing the web over Wi-FI (0.60 Mbps)
4. Realtime XBOX Live Call of Duty multiplayer game (0.25 Mbps)
As you can see, the whole family can keep busy, each connected to their own service or site, without any stutters, drops, and freezes. Think of bandwidth like water pressure, it works well because not every single faucet, sink, shower, or toilet is in use at once.
Factors to Consider with Wireless Broadband for the Home
If you are a person who lives on the go who prefers to always have their connection where they go, the MiFi 4GMobileHotspot may be a great alternative. After all, the MiFi device can always follow along on your ride, be it at home or on the road - It’s assuring to know you will always have access to a fast connection.
The MiFi 4G is likely NOT going to be a realistic replacement for your home broadband if you have a need for the mobile and wired environments to coexist. For example, you might have GotoMyPC.com setup on your desktop PC at home, and need the ability to reach the desktop remotely. This will require an “always on” solution that is best served by wired broadband.
A mobile broadband solution such as the MiFi 4082 is not a suitable solution for those who need the extreme speeds and massive download capabilities of cable modems or FiOS. This would be users who download tens or hundreds of gigabytes per month from Torrent sites, Usenet newsgroups, and P2P file sharing tools.
Conclusion: The MiFi 4G was never intended or marketed as a full time replacement for a wired home broadband connection, however in our opinion there is a fairly large user base that could be called the "constantly connected family" who could greatly benefit from a practical device that can provide both mobile and stationary broadband service for voice and internet at a substantial cost savings over traditional plans.
