The ZTE Mobley is the vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot you’ve been looking for

By Robert Nazarian Published September 8, 2015

your passengers can finally ride in style att introduces its first wi fi hotspot for cars at amp t zte mobley car wifi plug — Image used with permission by copyright holder

AT&T introduced its first plug-in vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot today at CTIA, the ZTE Mobley. This is something that is perfect for Wi-Fi-only tablets and laptops.

The ZTE Mobley allows up to five devices to connect to the internet using AT&T’s 4G LTE network for fast speed and performance. Now this isn’t your average portable hotspot device. Most hotspot devices have to be charged up. The Mobley connects to your vehicle’s OBD II (on-board diagnostics) port, which means that you never have to worry about charging it or turning it on. It will always be ready to go.

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Most cars that are 1996 and newer have an OBD II port. If your car has one, there will be a sticker or nameplate under the hood that states, “OBD II compliant.” Assuming your car has that notice, the next step is finding it. It should be within 3 feet of the driver seat, and no tools should be required to remove its cover. The best places to look are under the dashboard or behind ashtrays. It will look something like this:

OBD_II_Connector_01 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Once connected, you can easily change the network settings, such as the network name and password, through AT&T’s Wi-Fi manager home page.

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The ZTE Mobley will go on sale September 11 for a $100 contract free. Customers can also opt for a two-year contract and get the device for free.

The monthly cost is as little as $10 per month when adding it to an existing Mobile Share Value plan. However, customers can also opt for a separate DataConnect plan that costs $20 per month for 1GB or $30 per month for 3GB. This is perfect for customers that have their smartphones on another carrier.

Click here to visit the site where the ZTE Mobley can be purchased (after September 11).

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Robert Nazarian

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Robert Nazarian became a technology enthusiast when his parents bought him a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color. Now his biggest…

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