Japan Unlimited Pocket Wi-Fi

It would be great to have seamless internet connectivity in Japan, right? There's a solution for that, called Pocket Wi-Fi, which allows you to stay connected without worrying about data limits. In this article, we'll explain how to choose an unlimited Pocket Wi-Fi.

What is Pocket Wi-Fi?

Pocket Wi-Fi is a small mobile device that provides internet connectivity. It offers Wi-Fi access anywhere in Japan, allowing you to connect your devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops to the internet.

What are the advantages of Pocket Wi-Fi?

Pocket Wi-Fi offers mobility, unlimited data usage, and the ability to connect multiple devices simultaneously. It's convenient for when you're traveling or temporarily staying in Japan.

Unlimited Pocket Wi-Fi

An unlimited Pocket Wi-Fi is a mobile Wi-Fi device that offers internet connectivity without data usage limits. Normally, when you reach a certain data limit, your speed might be throttled, but with an unlimited Pocket Wi-Fi, there are no such restrictions, allowing you to comfortably use the internet. When traveling in Japan, it's essential to have worry-free communication without having to think about data limits. However, currently, there are no Pocket Wi-Fi plans that offer completely unrestricted high-speed data communication. While they are advertised as "unlimited," there are typically fair usage policies in place, and your speed may be reduced if you exceed certain data thresholds. The extent of these limitations varies depending on the service provider. In Japan, communication infrastructure is considered a public utility, and no single company can monopolize it. Some companies offer special plans for foreign visitors, but they manage data usage within the available data capacity. Consequently, if the number of users increases, there's a possibility of reduced connection speeds.

Why have truly unlimited Pocket Wi-Fi plans disappeared?

Some Pocket Wi-Fi devices used to offer "completely unlimited" data plans, utilizing a technology called "cloud SIM" that accessed the networks of Japan's major carriers (docomo, au, SoftBank). However, the availability of SIM cards for these devices became scarce, leading to network congestion and significant communication outages in February 2020. During that period, many users experienced almost no internet connectivity for about a month and a half. In response to the situation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications issued administrative guidance, prompting most providers to announce the discontinuation of truly unlimited plans and start specifying data usage limits.

There are two types of essentially unlimited Pocket Wi-Fi

Cloud SIM Technology

Cloud SIM technology involves switching to another SIM card when you approach the data usage limit of one SIM card, effectively increasing the data capacity. While it allows for large data capacities, there can be interruptions in connectivity when the SIM card switches while you're using Wi-Fi.

Single SIM

This type of Pocket Wi-Fi achieves high data capacities with a single SIM card, ensuring stable and uninterrupted connectivity. As of September 2023, one common example of such a service in Japan offering unlimited Pocket Wi-Fi is WIMAX+5G."

Is Unlimited Data Really Necessary?

Do you truly need unlimited data while traveling in Japan? While having unlimited data would be great, let's consider if it's really necessary. With a monthly data limit of 100GB, you can do the following: As you can see, 100GB of data per month is quite substantial and should cover most of your needs.

Recommend Pocket Wi-Fi Plans

Let me introduce our Wi-Fi options: