topic Re: Hotspotting in Mobile Data

Hotspotting

Kingdom7 — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 05:22:08 GMT

Hello

I have just got an unlimited data SIM plan. Very happy with it. Except one thing.

I just got a text saying I’ve used 80% of my gifting data? I tether to my laptop at work. This was never an issue when I was with Virgin.

Is there any ways for unlimited hotspotting? I can’t believe I am even asking. I thought this would be standard. If I’d known this was the case, I’d stayed with Virgin.

Re: Hotspotting

Chris_B — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 07:23:34 GMT

@Kingdom7 Your only being told you’ve used the first 80% of data data that you can gift.

with a unlimited tariff you can only gift from the first 120Gb of a 5G tariff and you’ve used 80% of that 120Gb.

Re: Hotspotting

XRaySpeX — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 11:14:44 GMT

It's only talking about data that you may potentially gift from the 1st 100GB of all your data to other nos. on your a/c if you choose to. It's just a warning just in case you wanted to. You may safely ignore it & carry on using data for your own purposes including hotspotting.

As you use data for your own use you are eating into this gifting allowance even when you are not actually gifting it.

Notice that it didn't say "You've gifted data you can gift" just that "You've used data you may gift".

Re: Hotspotting

Kingdom7 — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 13:03:27 GMT

What happens if I reach 100? Will I be charged more or does it simply stop working?

Thanks guys!

Re: Hotspotting

XRaySpeX — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 13:36:32 GMT

You won't be able to gift any data to other users on your a/c but you yourself may carry on hotspotting. There won't be any extra charges.

Re: Hotspotting

Kingdom7 — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 15:24:36 GMT

I’m sorry. I don’t understand. I don’t gift anything that I am aware of. I’m the only person on my account. All I have been doing is hotspotting my laptop when I got the text. Is there a difference between gifting and hotspotting?

Re: Hotspotting

James_B — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 15:42:52 GMT

Hi @Kingdom7,

Yes, gifting is when you transfer data from one plan on your account to another. This does not affect your ability to use your phone as a hotspot.

Hope this helps.

James

Re: Hotspotting

Kingdom7 — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 15:54:24 GMT

But I don’t have another account on my plan? Just the one SIM. I got the text when hotspotting to my laptop.

Re: Hotspotting

James_B — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 15:57:54 GMT

Hi @Kingdom7,

Don't worry this is just an automated text, unrelated to using your phone as a hotspot.

With unlimited plans, you can only gift data from your first 120GB of total data usage. As you don't use the data gifting service, you can ignore the message.

James

Re: Hotspotting

XRaySpeX — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 16:06:17 GMT

Yes, gifting is assigning data to others on your MyEE a/c. As you don't have any others you won't be gifting data to anyone. However the amount of data reserved for gifting on your unlimited data plan, whether you gift it or not, is the 1st 100GB of all your data for the month. As you use your data during the month, by direct use or hotspotting, you are consuming some & eventually all of this 1st 100GB of all your data for the month. That is all that text is warning you about, that by using your data ordinarily that the amount you may gift, should you choose to, is reducing all the time. It won't know that that you aren't planning to gift anything.

Re: Hotspotting

Cutmire — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 13:51:07 GMT

I have also had this problem with hotspot, while on holiday I hotspot too my steam deck too download a game and then it said I reach my data cap even though I have unlimited dara.

I was no longer able to tether until the following month

Re: Hotspotting

James_B — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 13:58:32 GMT

Hi @Cutmire,

Welcome to the EE Community. 🙂

Did the message say you'd used your giftable data allowance?

James

Re: Hotspotting

EssexBoyEE — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 11:49:02 GMT

@Cutmire - while on holiday

Were you outside of the UK, you will not get Unlimited Data whilst Roaming.

Re: Hotspotting

Cutmire — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 12:40:17 GMT

No I was not outside the uk.

I was using my phone as a hotspot and I don't gift data.

So they have a fair use policy but I'm unable to find such policy their site.

Re: Hotspotting

XRaySpeX — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 12:56:33 GMT

@Cutmire : Unlimited Plans:

We will consider usage above 600GB/month to be non-personal use and have the right to apply traffic management controls to deprioritise your mobile traffic during busy periods or to move you to a business plan.