I’ve been chasing the dream of reliable internet as a digital nomad since around 2016, when the idea of working from anywhere first grabbed me. Back then, Nomadic Internet seemed like the holy grail. It was the best option available—until it wasn’t. Speeds were decent, around 3 Mbps, enough for a WebEx call or two if you tweaked the quality settings. But then things went south. The CEO got caught up in some fraudulent mess, revealed as a serial con-man, and the company hit rock bottom. He stepped down, and somehow Nomadic Internet picked up the pieces. I hear their prices have dropped since then, but I can’t vouch for their service today. Back in the day, when it worked, it was great—until it didn’t, and you’d spend a week piecing it back together.
Nomadic Internet is still around, and maybe they’ve improved. If anyone’s tried them recently, I’d love to hear how they’re holding up.
Then there’s ConnectTen, a company that popped up after Nomadic Internet’s implosion. From what I can tell, they’re doing something similar—offering unlimited data plans for nomads. I haven’t used them myself, but they seem to follow the same playbook.
Another player is UnlimitedVille, a veteran in the game. They’ve been around for years, delivering on the unlimited data promise without the “we’ll throttle you to dial-up speeds” nonsense. All three—Nomadic, ConnectTen, and UnlimitedVille—sit in the $80–$100/month range. They’re solid for streaming, video calls, and endless web surfing. Gaming? Not so much. Latency is too high compared to something like GPON (fiber optic).
For a more budget-friendly option, I’ve been using Red Pocket. I picked up one of their SIMs for my unlocked Netgear router, which I’ve had forever. The router might be my bottleneck now, and I’m considering an upgrade. Red Pocket gives me 20 GB for $40/month, which is enough for conference calls, web browsing, email, and even the occasional podcast or driving directions while traveling. It’s not perfect for heavy streaming, but it gets the job done. I did run out of data once back in April when I was full-timing, so keep an eye on your usage if you’re on the road a lot.
Overall, these options—Nomadic Internet, ConnectTen, UnlimitedVille, and Red Pocket—have worked reasonably well for me over the years. Each has its quirks, but they’ve kept me connected on the move. Oh, and a quick shoutout: Red Pocket’s cell phone service is fantastic and a steal compared to the big carriers. If you’re a nomad looking for flexibility without breaking the bank, these are worth checking out.
If I were gong to nomad today -- starlink. Hands down. I just had a couple set up next to me in at rip I just got home from. Under a canopy of trees, they still had a workable signal -- something just a few years ago wouldn't have been possible. They both are digital nomads (part time)and said it has not let them down yet. I think this is one of the "you get what you pay for" things.
I need internet. $150 a month is worth it...perhaps. Its all about choices.
But even though its a write-off, I still have to pay it. It just saves me a few pennies in taxes. Unfortunately, many of my business ventures take me to places where the cell phone service is so poor that it is effectively useless. Starlink still has some appeal -- Except for the fact, it too, has hefty power requirements.