Whether you just want portable WIFI for traveling, or you’re a digital nomad and it’s necessary for your business, these little gadgets can save your day in so many ways. I was first introduced to a pocket WIFI device years ago when I was traveling in Taiwan, and they’ve since become one of my standard pieces of travel kit. For the past six months I’ve been carrying GlocalMe’s DuoTurbo 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot. It currently sells for around $180 on Amazon.
I’ll answer some of the questions below that I was concerned about when shopping for a portable WIFI for my adventures.
This post includes affiliate links for the DuoTurbo and other gear I use because it’s worked well for me and I’d recommend it.
Is portable WIFI good for video calls?
I value making mental health tools more accessible. That’s difficult to do when I can’t run workshops, regular livestreams, or host coaching calls with clients all over the globe. It’s important that I create a welcoming, clear virtual experience for clients. So I don’t just need internet access. I need a clear connection for multimedia work, that doesn’t drop.
The DuoTurbo has saved me a couple of times. In the past six months, the power in my place has gone out twice just before a video call. I had an Airbnb that didn’t have the highspeed internet it promised. And it’s also let me get more mobile with where I do livestreams. I can just go to a park or a café and stream from there.
I was initially nervous about using it for calls but I trust it now, which helps me with scheduling in client calls before I’ve arrived at a destination. I know I’ll have good internet even if my hotel doesn’t.
My favorite remote work setup at Cannua Ecolodge, near Medellin. The hotel internet did fail one day after a storm, but my DuoTurbo could still connect and I made all of my coaching calls. The keyboard there is a Logitech K380 multidevice travel keyboard. You can read about it here: “Finding a travel keyboard for writing on the go” And the tripod I use to hold my phone for client calls is the Joby GorillaPod 3K Kit
How is the GlocalMe DuoTurbo on bandwidth usage?
When I was looking for a portable WIFI, and comparing reviews, I saw some complaints about the DuoTurbo using up bandwidth too quickly. I’ve found the opposite, significantly. But this might be explained by me being Canadian. What would normally use up 1GB+ with my Canadian cellphone provider, generally uses around 200MB on the DuoTurbo. So coming from Canadian cellphone providers, it’s been excellent.
A portable WIFI is totally worth it given that I use it for business. I don’t bother with getting different SIM cards for my phone in each country now. I just get global data packages on the GlocalMe app.
The DuoTurbo has a color touchscreen display that let’s you check up on data usage, manage WIFI connections, and optimize the cellphone network it’s connecting to. You can’t purchase more data directly on the device. For that, you need to use GlocalMe’s app.
How much do data plans cost with GlocalMe?
The GlocalMe DuoTurbo on Amazon has dropped to around $180 as of writing this. It was around $200 when I originally purchased it. That’s a mid-range price for a WIFI hotspot. You can find cheaper or more expensive ones. But keep in mind that you need to buy the data packages separately.
The data package prices will vary. Looking on the app just now, a 10GB package for Mexico, for 30 days, is $45. A 1GB package that’s good anywhere in Europe for 180 days, is $12.
If you’re just traveling for fun and using the DuoTurbo to look up restaurants on Google Maps, then a 1GB package will last you a long time.
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