Last Updated on August 31, 2022
There are two types of hotspots.
There’s those little electronic devices that create your own WiFi network.
And you can also make a hotspot by turning on the hotspot feature on your cell phone.
This post covers both types and whether you can use them on airplanes.
Do Mobile Hotspot Devices Work On Planes?
Mobile hotspot devices are little battery powered routers that create a WiFi network and allow multiple devices like tablets, laptops, and phones to connect and share internet service.
Well known brands include MiFi, NETGEAR and TP-LINK.
There are also devices sold and branded by cellphone service providers like Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T.
Firstly, these mobile wireless devices are permitted through the airport security checkpoint so there is no problem packing them in your hand luggage.
The problem is the Federal Communications Commission does not permit the use of cellular data on planes because it might interfere with the planes radio equipment.
And mobile hotspot devices get the internet that they share via the cellular network, the same network that cell phones use.
That means that you are not permitted to use a mobile hotspot device on a plane with the cellular data connection enabled. Mobile hotspots should be switched off during flights.
In any case, the hotspot will not work on a plane because their is no cell phone service once the plane is at cruising altitude. The plane is too high for any device to connect to the cell towers on the ground.
Were they permitted, they might work during take-off and landing but for most of the flight they’d be useless.
So mobile hotspot devices don’t work on airplanes.
You could, in theory, access the settings for your mobile hotspot through a browser interface and disable the cellular connection. This would effectively be like turning on airplane mode for the mobile hotspot. It would continue to function like a mobile router creating a WiFi hotspot. But since there would be no cellular data connection there would be no internet connection to share to connected devices.
The only way to get internet access on a flight is through in-flight Wi-Fi provided by the airline.
Hotspots Created By Cell Phones
Cell phones also have a hotspot feature, this is also sometimes known as tethering.
On the iPhone it’s called a Personal Hotspot.
And on Android it’s called a Mobile Hotspot.
This creates a personal WiFi hotspot to share the phones internet connection.
A cell phone hotspot will share any internet connection that the phone has.
But the same FCC rules apply to phones. Cellular data must be disabled on phones when flying. Usually this is done by turning on airplane mode on the phone before take-off.
Disabling LTE cell data means your phone won’t have any internet access to share with other devices.
Unless…
You connect your phone to onboard Wi-Fi provided by the airline.
You can then create a hotspot on your phone and share that internet access with other devices. After you have turned on airplane mode on a phone you are permitted to re-enable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and create a personal hotspot.
This can be a workaround to connect two or more devices to in-flight WiFi when the airline charges per device connected. You can connect your phone to inflight Wi-Fi then use a personal hotspot feature on the phone to share internet with your laptop computer, tablet, or iPad.
So a cell phone hotspot is a type of hotspot that works on a plane but only if your phone has connected to the in-flight Wi-Fi.
Final Thoughts
Mobile hotspot devices work by connecting to the cell tower network at ground level.
If a mobile hotspot is turned on during a flight without disabling the cellular data function it can potentially interfere with the planes equipment.
Hence, aviation regulations do not permit you to turn on mobile hotspot devices on planes.
Even if you did turn on the a mobile hotspot device it would not work. It would create a Wi-Fi connection but no internet service would be provided through that connection due to the lack of cell service.
To get internet on a plane passengers need to connect to in-flight Wi-Fi assuming the airline provides it.
You can often share this paid internet connection with multiple people or devices by using hotspot tethering or bluetooth tethering on a cell phone.