[gen220]

As jrmj notes, phone plans with tethering aren't as common and often come with strings attached.

I use my phone in coffee shops that don't have [acceptable] WiFi. The main drawback is needing to be mindful of phone battery in addition to the laptop battery.

That being said, it's a great resource when you need a space to work at 11am-2pm (when all of the WiFi-offering spots are filled). There are a couple of local coffee shops with no WiFi, that don't forbid laptops – they're usually empty during peak hours.

[ratg13]

Although they may exist, I’ve never seen a European provider prohibit tethering.

One would hope such silliness should be illegal.

I just googled it and see that Verizon in the US was successfully sued for blocking tethering .. one would hope that more people take action against companies attempting this.

[davidf18]

I use my iPhone and cellular iPad for 80 GB tethering per month used outside of home and work, for instance in a NYC cafe or outside during the summer. I don't like relying on public WiFi for security reasons. I also bring a nice large powercell for additional charge. It adds about an extra pound, but gives me a full recharge on the 16" MacBook Pro.

Using fast.com (Netflix server) I get 56 Mbps down and 24 Mbps up on Verizon with my iPhone 15 Pro Max in Manhattan which is another reason to use WiFi.