Can I use a iPhone 6s Plus as a hotspot?

Yes, you can use an iPhone 6s as a hotspot if your plan supports hotspot. The speeds you would get would depend on many variables and won’t be constant. Download speeds change often. You could get anywhere from 1 to 100 mbps or better.

Download a speed test app and do a speed test. Do several speed tests.   That's what you would get.

Cellular data is a shared resource which means it any particular time and in any particular location your speed may be restrained because you were sharing the resource with other people. Also it's location-based. My speed test at home are considerably different from my speed test in the center of my town, and Speedtest on a hill, with no obstruction between me and the towers.

The other issue is going to be the limitations of your plan. Currently the only plan with a generous hotspot that can be used on the phone is the unlimited elite plan which allows 40 gigs of data.  

Purchasing a dedicated hotspot device, the most generous plan AT&T has is the one hundred gig plan for $55 a month as a prepaid plan..

As a general rule, cellular service is not a substitute for home internet service.

Thank you sandblaster and formerlyknownas.
I am new to understanding 'hotspots'.

Your comment that speeds will vary depending on sharing resources with other users is most helpful.

I use the internet for personal use.  I access email, read news blogs, watch a Youtube video or live bird cam in the evening and that's about it.
I am the only user of the cable/wifi service in my home.  My devices are a laptop with a Linux OS and a iPhone6s Plus.  This month WAVE-Astound says I used 19.9 GBs.

Formerlyknownas writes: "As a general rule, cellular service is not a substitute for home internet service."

I am attempting to see if it would be to my advantage to use a "hotspot" in lieu of a cable provider.  (All of the wires and router/modem equipment are a nuisance.  Plus dealing with "Astound".)

I am attempting to see if it would be to my advantage to use a "hotspot" in lieu of a cable provider.  (All of the wires and router/modem equipment are a nuisance.  Plus dealing with "Astound".)

Yeah, I got that. 

The point is there are limits on the amount you can use.  40 gigs.  

If that's enough, sign up for the elite plan 

Welcome @SkyAisling to our Forums Page we're here to answer your concerns!

Thanks again to @sandblaster, @formerlyknownas for the shared information of the speed test for AT&T coverage.

We can definitely provide you with some more information about PREPAID Mobile Hotspot plans. When you choose a PREPAID data plan for your Mobile Hotspot device, it will expire 30 days from the date that your plan is purchased, and can be renewed prior to expiration as long as the account is active.

We hope that you will enjoy our hotspot services. Thank you for reaching out to Community Forums!

Ashley, AT&T Community Specialist

I notice that AT&T prepaid hotspot plans emphasis 5G network access.  My understanding is that iPhone 6s Plus is good for 4G access. ?  I'm assuming that means a slower connection?

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It may or may not mean anything. You would have to be in a location that gets a good 5g signal.  And even then a lot of people complain that LTE is faster than 5G.  5G is still new technology. I'm sure it is improving rapidly and purchasing a device with the option to use 5G is not a bad idea.  But purchasing a 5G device and expecting 5G speeds to be superior, or even available, is future-proofing, more than it is a current guarantee of current 'speeds' 

If you do go the route of purchasing a dedicated hotspot device from AT&T, it would be 5G capable oh, I don't think they are selling any lte-only devices anymore. 

My understanding is that iPhone 6s Plus is good for 4G access. ? I'm assuming that means a slower connection?

Correct, an iPhone 6 is LTE only but that doesn’t  necessarily mean a slower connection. 5G is still new and the really high speeds are yet to come. You also need to be aware that a data only plan for a hotspot won’t work on an iPhone. You must have a phone plan for an iPhone and prepaid phone plans don’t offer much hotspot data. If you were to get a data only plan to use on a hotspot, you would need a dedicated hotspot device.

That is correct @SkyAisling!

Since February 2022 all carriers went into affect of the 3G shutdown. This will help us make room for an even better network that will improve your experience.

To ensure our customers are prepared for this change, we have helpful information that will answer some of the most common questions.  Please ensure you are checking your specific model number to see if it matches:

• Will my AT&T phone work after the 3G sunset? - Be sure to check the specific model number
• Wondering if your unlocked non-AT&T devices will work with AT&T? - Be sure to check the specific model number
• How do I prepare if my phone isn’t supported?
• Curious about your current phones capabilities?
• Does this affect PREPAID?

You can find answers to these questions and learn more by visiting our 3G sunset article.

Need to get a new SIM Card? 

You can visit a local AT&T store or chat with us to order one online. *Charges may apply.

If you have an AT&T Prepaid account, you can order a SIM online.

Let us know how this works out! Thank you for reaching Community Forums.

Ashley, AT&T Community Specialist

Thank you everyone. Your responses are most helpful. 

Sky