[PhotoJim]

I use USB "modems" (they don't modulate and demodulate, which is what a modem does, so it's not really the right word... I know, I'm pedantic - but I call them data sticks). I prefer them over USB hot spots for a few reasons:

1. Hotspots can suffer from interference, particularly in areas with a lot of other WiFi hotspots (hotels, apartments, city centres). They tend to pick their WiFi channel randomly so you don't always have control over how well they will work.
2. They require their own AC source or else require you to manage battery charging. A USB stick simply draws power from the computer you're using it with.
3. Data sticks are cheap enough to buy, so if you need to tweak your compatibility with local networks in another area, it's easy enough to get another stick. I have three sticks, an HSPA one that works at 850/1900/2100 MHz, and HSPA+ one that works at the same frequencies and is much faster (but seems slightly fussier in weaker coverage), and an HSPA one that works at AWS bands (1700 MHz) that some providers in North America use. I pop my SIM into the stick that suits my needs the best.

I think society is all in a tizzy about wireless this and wireless that (and obviously we're using wireless technology to get our Internet connection here anyway) but the less wireless you use, the more reliability and simplicity you get, so I like using data sticks. It takes one more potential problem out of the equation.