No SIM? No Problem!

Summary

The video discusses the privacy implications of SIM cards, explaining how they can track location, enable hidden messaging between cell networks, and lead to VPN leaks. It advocates removing the SIM card from phones and instead using a mobile hotspot, which can provide connectivity while better protecting privacy. However, hotspots come with downsides like carrying multiple devices. Overall, the video aims to educate on SIM card risks and present alternatives, so viewers can make informed choices about optimizing phone privacy.

Takeaways

• 😲 SIM cards track your location and enable monitoring of your phone activity
• 😯 Secret communication occurs between the SIM and baseband processor
• 🤔 Centralizing phone functions creates privacy risks like VPN leaks
• 🌇 Using WiFi instead of cellular can improve privacy
• 👍 Hotspots allow connectivity while isolating the SIM
• 🔒 Hotspots can reduce location tracking and data collection
• ❌ No SIM means no phone number or seamless connectivity
• 📶 Calyx hotspots offer anonymous purchase and unlimited data
• 🌟 Supporting Calyx supports online privacy efforts
• ✈️ Hotspots provide reliable connectivity for travelers

Q & A

What are some of the ways a SIM card can track your location?

A SIM card tracks your location through constant communication with cell towers to maintain network connectivity. As your phone connects to different towers, the time and signal strength is recorded, creating a map of your movements.

How does a SIM card enable targeted advertising?

Your location data from the SIM card provides info about your daily habits and movements. Cell providers can use this to infer your activities and interests, allowing more targeted ads.

What are the hidden messages a SIM card sends to the network?

The baseband processor and SIM card can communicate autonomously to send encrypted messages to the cell network unbeknownst to the user. The contents are proprietary and not publicly documented.

What are some alternatives for connectivity without a SIM card?

You can use WiFi networks, both public and private, to connect your phone. You can also use a mobile hotspot device that has a SIM card in it to provide internet access.

What are the benefits of using a mobile hotspot over a phone SIM?

Hotspots allow you to separate functions across devices, encrypt traffic at the hotspot level, reduce insights into personal usage patterns, and lower location tracking associated directly with you.

What are some downsides of using a hotspot instead of a phone SIM?

You have to carry multiple devices, you may experience connectivity delays as devices reconnect, and you don't have a standard cell phone number that people can call.

How does the Calyx Institute provide anonymous hotspots?

Calyx uses a non-commercial frequency band allocated for education. This allows them to offer anonymous accounts without collecting personal info, paid by cash or cryptocurrency.

What privacy risks remain with using a SIM in a hotspot?

The hotspot SIM still communicates with cell towers, so some location data is still generated. However, it's dissociated from your personal devices and usage patterns.

What was Nick Merrill's experience that led to starting Calyx?

Nick was the first person to challenge an NSA National Security Letter in court. This 12 year legal fight exposed mass surveillance and led Nick to start Calyx.

How can I support the creation of more digital privacy tools?

You can donate to non-profits like Calyx Institute that develop privacy-focused technologies and fight for digital rights.

Outlines

00:00

📱 How SIM cards allow your phone to track you and connect to networks

SIM cards link your device identity to your account, enable connectivity through communication with cell towers which tracks your location, and proactively initiate hidden communication with networks. Reasons to be cautious of privacy implications.

05:01

😶 SIMs can send hidden commands without you knowing

SIM cards can autonomously send commands to the baseband processor to perform tasks without intervention from the main phone processor. The contents of this communication is unknown and not documented by carriers.

10:05

🌐 Centralizing control on one device risks bypassing VPN

Having phone act as internet gateway and VPN client means OS can intentionally bypass VPN for some services, risking split tunneling. Separating SIM into hotspot gives more control over VPN.

15:07

🚫 Downsides of no SIM: Connectivity, phone number, multiple devices

Without a SIM, need WiFi for connectivity instead which has availability and security downsides. Also lose phone number tied to SIM, requiring alternative like VOIP. Must carry separate hotspot device.

20:09

👍 Hotspots from nonprofit Calyx provide anonymity and unlimited data

Calyx hotspots in USA purchased anonymously, provide unlimited data, and support privacy-focused nonprofit founded by hero who challenged National Security Letters.

Keywords

💡SIM card

A SIM card is a small chip that allows cell phones to connect to cellular networks for making calls, sending messages, and accessing data. SIM cards track user locations and activity. The video discusses privacy concerns with using SIM cards, and alternatives like using cell phone hotspots.

💡location tracking

Cell providers use SIM cards to pinpoint user locations by tracking connections between phones and cell towers. This location data is used for advertising and sold to third parties. The video suggests removing SIM cards to limit location tracking.

💡hotspot

A mobile hotspot is a separate device that provides internet connectivity via cellular networks. Using a hotspot instead of a phone SIM card can enhance privacy by separating functions across devices, limiting data collected, and reducing location tracking.

💡connectivity

Cell phone SIM cards provide constant connectivity to cellular networks. The video discusses alternatives for connectivity without SIM cards, like using WiFi, mobile hotspots, and brief public WiFi connections.

💡anonymity

Services like Calyx Institute hotspots allow anonymous purchase without providing personal information. This supports user privacy. The video contrasts anonymity of public WiFi and hotspots versus extensive data collection from phone SIM card use.

💡Calyx Institute

Non-profit providing privacy-focused services like anonymous hotspots with unlimited data in the US. The video advocates supporting their mission over large phone companies, and founder Nick Merrill's privacy activism.

💡baseband processor

Cell phones have a baseband processor that communicates directly with networks and the SIM card. It can send hidden messages outside user control. Using a hotspot separates this function from the phone.

💡split tunneling

When phone OS's bypass VPN apps and leak data traffic directly to the internet. Hotspots avoid this issue by handling the VPN separately from the phone.

💡public WiFi

Brief public WiFi connections provide an alternative to constant SIM connectivity. Can add anonymity but has security risks. Useful when needed but phone can otherwise stay offline.

💡voip number

Without a SIM card, cell number is lost. A voip number allows calling/messaging instead. Has privacy advantages over cell numbers linked to SIM cards and accounts.

Highlights

SIM cards track your location and online habits.

Cell providers sell your location data to anyone who wants it.

Proactive SIMs can send hidden messages without your knowledge.

Bypassing VPNs allows phone OSs to expose activity to the internet.

Public WiFi adds anonymity compared to using a SIM.

Hotspots let you separate SIM functions across devices.

Hotspots reduce location tracking compared to phone SIMs.

Calyx Institute hotspots offer anonymity and unlimited data.

Hotspots have downsides like carrying multiple devices.

No cell number means using VoIP apps instead.

Hotspots can have slower reconnect times than phones.

Support Calyx Institute for their privacy work.

Assess if no SIM is right for your needs.

Tweak phone settings to reduce SIM privacy risks.

Explore tools to improve your digital privacy.

Transcripts

Your phone is more than just a communication  tool; it's a powerful tracking device, 

and the SIM card inside is a key reason why.  This tiny chip is your gateway to connectivity  

on the go, allowing you to receive calls,  messages, and use the internet as you travel.

But it also tracks your every  move, logs your every call,  

and quietly observes your online habits. We do  all kinds of sensitive activities on our phones, 

and the SIM plays a big role in  allowing that activity to be monitored, 

often without our explicit awareness or consent.

Do you know how much information your cell phone  is really collecting about you and your location?

I don't actually have a SIM  card in any of my phones,  

and in this video I'll explain the reasons why.

I'll also talk about alternative ways  that you can still have connectivity  

on the go without a SIM in your phone,  such as using an anonymous Calyx hotspot.

And I'll also dive into the downsides of  not having a SIM in your phone. A warning  

right off the bat: this setup isn't for  everyone. I'll go over some drawbacks so  

that you can decide for yourself  what is the right choice for you.

Let's start with understanding what  a SIM card is. It's a tiny chip that  

we either insert into our phone, or it's  already embedded in the phone as an eSIM,  

that allows us to do things like make  calls, send messages, and use the internet. 

We get one when we sign up for a cell plan,  and each SIM is tied to a unique identity,  

called an IMSI, or International Mobile  Subscriber Identity. This is your digital  

fingerprint in the cellular world. It links all  your network activity to your subscriber account.

Now here are 3 reasons why this small card  sitting in your pocket might be more of a  

privacy concern than you realize,  starting with location tracking.

As you move, your SIM card is in constant  communication with various cell towers to  

maintain network connectivity. The time and  signal strength of your phone's connection  

as it comes into range of different cell  towers is recorded, tracking your movements.

This data is linked to your IMSI, making it  a personalized map of your daily activities.

Essentially, cell providers  know where we are at all times.

They can pinpoint exactly where  you are and what you’re doing,  

they can actually direct an ad to you.

This location data is not only used  for things like targeted advertising,

Cell providers actually have  a long and notorious history  

of selling your location data to  basically anyone who wants it.

The next reason why you might be cautious about  the privacy implications of SIM cards is that  

proactive SIMs can initiate the sending of hidden  messages to the cell network that you can't see.

How does this work? Well, while most people  think of their cell phone as a single computer,

The typical smartphone has  actually has three computers in it.

David Allan Burgess, a telecom expert that’s  worked in both signals intelligence and  

commercial equipment, explained to  us what these computers are. First,

It has the, the application processor

This is the computer that most  people think of as their cell phone,  

it usually runs Android or iOS and it’s  the part that people interact with.

And then below that, there's something  called a baseband processor that manages  

the telecommunications functions of the  phone. And, you know, it actually makes  

telephone calls and connects to your mobile  operator for cellular data sessions. And then  

below that there's the SIM, which  is actually a full computer system.

It's got its own operating system.  It's got its own file system.

While the "computer" within a SIM card is  extremely limited in terms of its functionality,  

the SIM IS able to do certain tasks autonomously,  

without the need for intervention from the  phone's main processor. And It turns out…

There can be communication going  on between the baseband processor  

and the SIM. That's not visible  to the application processor.

So basically you have the part of the phone that  you interact with; Android, iOS, Graphene -- the  

part with all the apps and settings that  has a screen showing you what's going on.

But meanwhile there are 2 other components,  

or computers, talking to each other,  the baseband processor, and the SIM.

And proactive SIMs have the capability to initiate  commands -- they can tell the mobile device to  

perform specific tasks, like sending out an  SMS, or starting a data session. All without  

you knowing, because these actions bypass  the part of the phone that you interact with.

Now it's not as nefarious as you might think --  communication between the baseband processor,  

initiated by the SIM, and the cell network  

is actually a completely normal  part of your cell functionality.

But it's still true that we really  have no idea what's in these messages  

that the baseband processor sends  out, because they're encrypted.

That's not the weird part though.  What makes me cautious is that  

cell providers don't want to talk  about what's in these messages.

No one at AT&T talks publicly about what  this stuff is. It's not documented anywhere.

David has been involved in court  cases that hinge on knowing what’s  

in these hidden messages, and still  cell providers won’t talk about it.

Even getting someone from AT&T to answer  the most basic questions about this was  

clearly not something they wanted to do. They  certainly wanted to say as little as possible.

There's a lot of suspicion about how  powerful these baseband processors  

really are and to what extent they  allow surveillance through our phones.

Theoretically, according to some of the Snowden  revelations, it, it may be able to turn the mic  

on or the camera on or remotely. It may be able  to turn the phone on when it's in an off state.

Some of the stuff you hear is true and  some of it's not true. And there's no  

way to separate truth from fiction  in the end. You don't really know.

Nick Merrill, the founder of the Calyx  Institute, a privacy-focused non profit,  

says that at the end of the day  all we can really do is speculate.

All that stuff is proprietary. It's, it's  closed. You can't know what's going on in there. 

we're really never gonna get visibility into it.

Open source baseband processors that people  could use as alternatives don't even exist,  

so this isn't something that the  average person can even control.

I just wanted to highlight how  little we know about what the  

baseband processor and SIM are  actually doing on our devices,  

and that they have this degree of autonomy on  a device where we're doing a lot of personal  

stuff. But it's just one of 3 reasons why I'm  cautious about having a SIM card in my phone.

So let's move on to the 3rd reason,  which is the risk of inadvertent  

split tunneling by centralized too  much control on a single device.

What do I mean by this? Well,  when you have a SIM in your phone,  

your device is your internet gateway.

On top of that, your device is where  you do a lot of personal activities.

Your phone's OS is in control of it all.

This can present issues like when using a VPN.

The idea behind a VPN is that all the  traffic leaving your device is sent  

through an encrypted tunnel, and routed to a VPN  server first before hitting the broader internet.

This is helpful for privacy because it helps  stop snooping on this activity, and also 

hides your IP address from the websites you visit.

But some of your traffic might be leaked  from your device directly to the internet,  

instead of going through the  encrypted tunnel. This is an  

example of split tunneling, and it  could happen without you realizing.

The Mysk research team discovered that  on iphones, there are a bunch of apps  

that bypass your VPN and send data directly to  Apple servers including: Stocks, Health, Home,  

Wallet, Messages, FindMy, Fitness,  Shortcuts, Apple Music, Freeform,  

Settings, Contacts, Weather,  and all push notifications.

Apple's terms of service for  VPNs actually states that they  

may bypass your VPN intentionally  for some essential system services.

This isn't just an issue with iOS  -- They found that Android also  

communicates with Google services  outside an active VPN connection.

So the 3rd problem of having a SIM in your phone,  is that when your phone's OS controls your apps,  

your internet gateway, and your VPN, if it  wants to bypass your VPN it can. There are  

ways to have more control over your VPN,  though, which we'll go over in a moment.

Those are 3 of the reasons why I  decided not to keep a SIM in my phone,  

but I can hear some of you thinking,  doesn't that make the phone useless?  

The whole point of a mobile phone is so  that you can have connectivity on the  

go. If you don't put a SIM in your phone, how  are you meant to still have that connectivity?

You'd use WiFi instead. With an internet  connection, your phone can function almost  

entirely as usual, even without a SIM. You  could use all the same apps you normally would,  

you could still use your favorite  messenger apps to communicate,  

and instead of using a cell number that you'd  get with a SIM card, you'd download a voip app,  

and people could call and message  you using that voip number instead.

Ok great! So when I'm at home or  work I could just connect to my  

wifi networks there. But what  about when I'm out and about?

I have some friends who actually don't like  having constant connectivity on the go,  

and if they need to talk to someone  they'll find the nearest public  

wifi to briefly connect. These  days public wifi is everywhere,  

so it's not hard to quickly find a connection. The privacy benefit of this is two-fold.

First, you can now keep your phone in  airplane mode at all times which stops  

it constantly chattering with cell towers  and recording your location. Instead you'd  

connect with wifi over a VPN which  is more private for your location,  

and you'd only do this when you actually  want connectivity. It’s like only turning  

on the light switch in a room when you enter the  room, and turning it off again when you leave.

Second, using public wifi to connect to the  internet can add a layer of anonymity, compared  

with using your cell network to connect. When you  connect through a SIM card, your IMSI and IMEI  

are unique identifiers that tie all your network  activity including internet activity, calls and  

messages together and associate them with you. By comparison, public WiFi networks often don't  

require an account linked to your personal  identity in order to access the internet.  

Wifi networks do collect the mac address of  your device, but modern smartphones often  

randomize these MAC addresses so that you can't  be tracked across different Wi-Fi connections.

But there are also downsides  to this approach. For example,  

you might be in an emergency where you need  an internet connection but can't find one.

You might need internet when driving around.

And on top of that, connecting to public  wifi isn't particularly secure. You can  

beef up your security and privacy  by making sure you always use a VPN,  

but there are possible malware risks or  man in the middle attacks that could occur.

So let's look at another option, the  mobile hotspot. It's a separate device  

that you carry around with you, that can give you  internet wherever you are. This is what I use.

It gives out wifi connection, or some  of them have ethernet if you need that.

You can put it in your pocket and basically  you can use as much internet as you want.

If I go work in a coffee shop, I always  have my own internet that I can trust. I  

don't concern myself with is the Starbucks  wifi secure or will it be slow or whatever.

The hotspot itself contains a SIM and that's  

how it's able to connect you  to the internet on the go.

But hold up, if I'm carrying around a SIM  anyway, why not just have it in my phone?

There are a few reasons why siloing the  SIM in a separate device can be useful

There are definitely different privacy gains  you can make by having a hotspot like this,  

including having, uh, a VPN client on the  hotspot so that all the traffic is encrypted.

If you have a SIM in a separate device,  and run your VPN on this separate device  

instead of on your phone, you're  separating functions across two  

different devices and your phone's os  no longer controls the gateway and VPN.

Because of this your phone's OS is  no longer able to bypass the VPN,  

and expose activity directly to  the internet without you realizing.

A second reason why siloing the SIM  in a separate device can be useful  

is because of those secret messages sent to  the cell network that we spoke about earlier.

When your SIM is in a hotspot, it's  the hotspot's baseband processor that  

talks to the cell network. Your hotspot is  typically ONLY used for internet connectivity,  

while your phone is a super sensitive device where  you do a ton of private activities. So if the  

hidden messages being sent to the cell network  ARE reporting on any activity on the device,  

which is a big if, the hotspot is going to  have a lot less personal activity to report.

It's also important to note that when you  use a hotspot, it's your hotspot's IMEI  

and IMSI that are the point of contact with the  cellular network, and these are not going to be  

as closely tied to your personal identity  as the SIM on your phone and your phone's  

IMEI. Especially if you purchase your hotspot  anonymously, which we'll talk about in a moment.

On top of that, when you use a hotspot,  

your cell provider gets a lot less  granular insight into your activities.

A SIM in your phone generates very  specific usage patterns as well as  

call and message logs that often reflect  very personal habits and preferences.

Cell providers can also sometimes infer which apps  

you're using and activities  you're doing on the device.

But when you use a hotspot, they mainly  just get data volume and traffic patterns.

And if the hotspot is used by multiple  devices or for different purposes,  

this further dilutes the usage  pattern associated with it.

While the data transmitted with  both setups is essentially the same,  

the hotspot can reduce the ease of directly  profiling your individual behavior.

A third reason why siloing the SIM in a separate  

device can be useful is to  reduce location tracking.

Now, a SIM in your hotspot is still going  to report your location to cell towers.

So what I do is, when I do need a  connection, I turn on the hotspot briefly,  

and I connect it to my phone with a cable,  but I turn it off again when I'm not using it,  

and I can even put it in a faraday bag if  I'm concerned. This dramatically reduces  

the amount of chatter between my phone and cell  networks, and I can still use the phone offline,  

for things like offline maps and camera.  Keep in mind you can achieve basically the  

same ends by just putting your phone in  airplane mode when you're not using it.

There are 2 more perks of using a hotspot that  I want to mention, but they apply specifically  

to hotspots purchased from the Calyx Institute,  the privacy organization I mentioned earlier. No,  

they're not sponsors of the show, they're just  a fantastic organization you should know about,  

and they offer 2 BIG benefits with their  hotspots that other providers don't,  

if you're based in the USA. First you can purchase  their hotspots and service completely anonymously.

Our memberships don't require you to  give personally identifiable information.

We go to a bunch of events every year  and people sign up and they pay with  

cash. We've also made it possible for  people to pay with cryptocurrencies.

And they accept about a hundred different  coins on their website including privacy coins

There was a lot of people asking us for  Monero support and Zcash support. So we  

added that it's a neat backdoor into not  needing to comply with, like, know your  

customer kind of rules to get a phone number. Sometimes people just wanna close the curtains  

when they want to be private and open  them when they want to, you know, share.

And second, you get unlimited data, so you  can use these hotspots for all your devices 

including streaming on your computer.

Most hotspots you get from a phone company have  a limit. Whether it's two gigabytes a month,  

10 gigabytes a month, after that,  it either stops or it goes slow.

We have these hotspots that  have no practical limit on it.

How is Calyx able to offer these services?

We got hooked up with another nonprofit that has,  uh, a license on a piece of the radio spectrum.

It's based on this FCC program, the  United States Federal Communications  

Commission. This program called  Educational Broadband Spectrum.

Basically in the 1960s, the FCC in America  allocated a portion of the radio spectrum to  

educational purposes, . And this EBS is less  congested compared to other commercial bands,  

so this might be why organizations that use it  

are able to allow more generous  data plans than other providers.

The deal that we have doesn't  have that limit on it.  

This is great news for people who want to use  these hotspots for all their internet needs,  

on their phones and their computers.

They have unlimited internet service on them.

We've discussed the benefits of using a  hotspot instead of having a SIM in your phone,  

but we should definitely go over the downsides  too, because as I mentioned at the start,  

this isn't going to be the right solution for  everyone. I'll talk from personal experience,  

as I've been using a phone without  a SIM for about a year now.

First, I have to carry around multiple devices:  

I have my phone and my hotspot,  and for some this will be an issue.

Can't say it's the most convenient thing. .  I mean, like, I, I like to carry my phone in my  

pocket and it's like the one thing that I have, I  wouldn't want to carry more stuff than I needed.

Personally, I don't notice this downside.

I have a small bag I carry with me anyway,  

and the hotspot is really compact, so I just  keep it in my bag and it's completely fine.

Next: cell number. If you don't  have a SIM, then you don't have a  

number associated with your SIM that  people can use to call your phone.

But this doesn't actually stop  people calling and messaging you,  

you could have a voip number instead. We  go over the privacy benefits of using a  

voip number instead of a cell number  in other videos, and that's what I do.

It's also worth noting that:

On our hotspots. They actually can take  incoming SMS, so they have a phone number  

assigned to the SIM card. It's not a normal sim  card, so you can't make phone calls on it. It's  

data only. But the devices can get, um, like  two factor authentication codes sent to them.

Finally there's connectivity: The connectivity  of my hotspot itself is fantastic.

But you know how when you're driving around,  sometimes your phone goes in and out of range?  

But it's not a big deal because it quickly  reconnects? Well when you use a hotspot,  

the lag before reconnecting  can be more of an issue.

While the hotspot itself will reconnect  super quickly, the phone then takes some  

additional moments to reconnect to the  hotspot. And then if you're like me,  

you have a VPN that then needs to reconnect too.

One way to mitigate this wait is  to tether the phone to the hotspot  

with a physical cable instead of using  wifi. There is still a slight delay,  

but it's less. I'd say this is  the biggest downside of a hotspot.

All in all I love this set up for my life, and  for me the benefits outweigh the downsides. For  

others, this will be too inconvenient, so you  should make the right choice for your life.

Now if you do decide to purchase a hotspot, and  you're in the USA, I highly recommend you get  

yours from the Calyx Institute. Not just because  of the anonymous purchase options and unlimited  

data that I already mentioned, but because  Calyx is a great privacy-focused organization.

You don't purchase these devices directly,  

it's technically membership based and you  instead give a tax-deductible donation.

They become a member. And one of the benefits  

you can get, you can opt into is we'll  send you one of these mobile hotspots,

Supporting them also means helping them  maintain all kinds of free public services.

You're supporting us building and operating  a free VPN running tor exit nodes,  

building this encrypted Android OS this private  Android oss, and all these different activities.

They also run a free private  message relay called jabber.

Why would you want to support, uh,  Verizon or at and t all these phone  

companies that are sort of antagonistic to  your privacy when you could instead support  

a nonprofit organization that's trying  to innovate new, more private things.

Here, here! I completely  agree with that sentiment.

We have the power to vote with our  money and support organizations that  

align with our values. But I also want  to mention that the founder of calyx,  

Nick Merril, is actually a privacy hero of mine.

He was the first person to ever publicly challenge  what's called a National Security Letter. He spent  

12 years of his life fighting government overreach  and exposing this warrantless mass surveillance.

It was that experience that led him to  start this privacy-focused institution  

in the first place, and I really  wish him and Calyx all the best.

My, like my work has purpose and my life has  purpose. And, uh, to try to help people all  

around the world, uh, be as free as they can. You  can do something that like matters and that makes  

you happy. Um, so yeah, come join the revolution.  That's, that's what I wanna say to everyone.

So to summarize, having a SIM card  in your phone has a lot of privacy  

downsides. You can mitigate these  by removing the SIM from your phone,  

and using a hotspot for connectivity instead. This  is what I do, but there are certainly tradeoffs,  

and you'll have to assess whether this  is something that's right for your life.  

Alternatively you can at least mitigate some  of the privacy risks of SIM cards by tweaking  

settings on your phone to help stop location  tracking, and we explain all that in the  

previous video in this series. In the meantime,  don't feel overwhelmed with phone privacy.

There are so many awesome tools out there for  you to explore if you're concerned about your  

digital privacy, and hopefully these videos  are helpful for learning about some of them.

NBTV is a non-profit that is able  to create free educational content  

thanks to community donations. If you'd  like to support the work that we do,  

visit nbtv.media/support. We also have a  book "beginner's introduction to privacy"  

if you're just starting out, which also  supports our channel. Thanks for watching,  

sharing our message, and supporting our  channel. We really appreciate all of you.

So if you've stuck around till the end,  here are some personal tips from me,  

and the experience I’ve had with hotspots.  The biggest perk for me is travel. So,  

whether I’m in an Uber, a train or bus,  or sitting in a plane on the tarmac;  

I have internet connectivity everywhere. I can go  to any cafe and know that I will have unlimited  

internet access that will not be interrupted.  This is a huge perk for me. I work a lot,  

so I need that internet connectivity and a hotspot  is just a great tool for providing that. Uh,  

it is worth noting that Calyx only works  in the USA, but Hotspots, in general,  

are actually worth considering no matter where  you are. So, that is all. Go and explore.