Using your phone as a hotspot makes the internet available just about anywhere and anytime. With 5G speeds thrown in, it’s a solution that rivals your office Wi-Fi.

Most smartphone data plans allow you to use your phone as a mobile hotspot, which means you can share that data connection with your computer and get your work done.

If your internet connection drops off for hours, your phone's data plan can keep your laptop afloat. Here's what you need to know.

When your phone acts as a hot spot, it works just like a mini router and appears as a regular Wi-Fi network option, so it’s vital to set a password, or anyone can connect and use your data.

When it comes to using your laptop on a train, or anywhere without WiFi, using your phone as a hotspot is a great solution. The only real downside: Computers soak up lots of data.

Below, we've highlighted what each of the major carriers offers for “unlimited” individual and family plans to help you figure out which unlimited plan is best for you, and your budget.

So, instead of wasting your day away scrounging the internet for the most affordable phone plan with unlimited data, we've done the work for you.

5 Best Ways to Use Your Phone When Traveling Abroad International plans, local SIM cards, free Wi-Fi and services like Google Fi can keep you connected while abroad.