I’m still a big fan of the MiFi device I promised to review, but I did end up returning mine and getting my money back. Here’s the story, in a nutshell.

First, as a refresher, the MiFi is a credit card-sized device that operates either on an included lithium-ion battery or plugged into power. When you press the button, it connects over the Sprint or Verizon broadband network (depending who you bought it from) and gives you a wi-fi connection that you can share simultaneously with up to 5 computers.

The MiFi works exactly as advertised. It’s simple, sleek and elegant. I could slip it into my pocket and walk down the street or drive down the freeway with a roving wi-fi hot spot following me. It’s an amazingly good concept, and a bit of a preview of what is likely to happen when the government licenses “open spectrum” and we have wireless Internet everywhere.

As you know, I live in a small town in rural California, so our Internet choices are quite limited. No cable or DSL options. We have a relatively slow wireless broadband provider who installed an antenna on our roof. The cost is $85/month, the speed isn’t nearly as high as we’re supposed to get, and it is a bit flaky from time to time.

The monthly rate for the MiFi connection via either Sprint or Verizon was $60/month, so I was looking at the chance to save $15, plus gain some mobility from being able to take the MiFi with us when we go on trips.

The sticking point turned out to be the bandwidth cap. Both Sprint and Verizon have a 5GB cap on their $60/month plan. I had used 3GB of that monthly allotment in the first 10 days of the billing cycle, and the next step up — a 10GB cap — was a whopping $199 per month!

So, the MiFi went back in its box to Verizon, who I should add, impressed me with great service. They promptly refunded my credit card and only charged me a prorated amount for the 3/5ths of the data allotment we had used. I did have to contact their e-mail customer service before I got the straight story, but in the end, I was impressed with how they handled it (for a phone company).

Bottom line: if you can justify $60 per month and won’t bump up against their 5GB cap, this is a great product that you’ll love. If Sprint or Verizon fix the pricing problem they have, I’d be back.

UPDATE 7/23 6:45PM: Just to be clear, I do know how to add. My local Internet provider doesn’t have to charge all the taxes and fees, compared to about $10 in monthly taxes and fees on the Verizon statement. On a purely apples-to-apples comparison, there is a $25 difference in the monthly base fee ($84.95 to $59.95).