Programs that provide portable devices that people who need Internet access at home can borrow for designated periods of time. Included are libraries that loan the devices to patrons and Centers for Independent Living (and other similar organizations) that have received funding to loan the devices to eligible individuals who need them, again for limited periods of time. A mobile hotspot is personal device that creates a small local area of Wi-Fi coverage allowing nearby Wi-Fi devices to connect to the Internet. The device serves as a link between nearby Wi-Fi devices and a cellular data network.