It is very cool that the latest 3G smartphones from all US wireless companies now offer the ability for the phones to act as hotspots, supporting 5 – 8 wifi devices. BUT, what I don’t get is why the data used in hotspot mode comes from a different “bucket” of data usage.

From the Verizon Wireless website:

“The 2 GB monthly allowance is separate from your monthly 3G Smartphone data feature allowance. Additional usage billed at a per-MB rate. When your smartphone is connected using 3G Mobile Hotspot, all data sent or received by your smartphone (including data sent or received by any Wi-Fi devices connected to it, or by your smartphone itself) will be billed according to your 3G Mobile Hotspot feature, and not according to your smartphone data feature.” [Mobile Broadband Connect/3G Mobile Hotspot]

My phone’s 3G data allowance is unlimited – as long as I do not hit the 5GB cap! So why not add the 2GB to the 5GB cap and make it 7GB? That make more sense to me.

Update: Oops! Forgot to give this article a title. Fixed.