Currently, the explosive growth in demand for mobile office and travel has created a strong need for internet access anytime and anywhere. Portable internet devices, known as “Portable WiFi,” have quickly evolved from digital accessories to essential “internet bags” for consumers, thanks to their plug-and-play and multi-device sharing advantages. The market is experiencing a surge. However, the industry’s rapid growth has also led to numerous issues, and its development path urgently needs to be “regulated and corrected.”
1. Current Situation: Rapid Rise of a Billion-Dollar Market
The rise of Portable WiFi is not accidental; it is a direct result of the demand for being “always online” in the mobile internet era. The market size clearly confirms this..
The product form has evolved from early USB internet cards to portable routers with built-in batteries that support multiple device connections. Its core competitiveness lies in providing flexible and cost-effective internet solutions for specific scenarios such as outdoor live streaming, cross-regional travel, student groups, and temporary exhibitions. According to iiMedia Research, the market size of Portable WiFi in China reached 12.76 billion yuan in 2024, with a year-on-year growth of 37.2%. It is expected to exceed 18 billion yuan by 2025 (link 1). Market participants include telecom giants like Huawei and ZTE, as well as digital accessory brands like Pisen and 360, along with a large number of OEM manufacturers from Shenzhen Huaqiangbei, presenting a pattern of “big brands leading, small workshops in chaos.”
2. Existing Problems: Four Major Issues Eroding the Foundation of Trust
Behind the industry’s prosperity is a simultaneous rise in consumer complaints. The issues are not merely about “poor quality,” but rather specific and sharp fraudulent behaviors.
(1) Data Misrepresentation and Speed Limitations. Industry’s public “hidden rules.”
Consumer Mr. Li purchased a product on an e-commerce platform that claimed to offer 3000GB of monthly data, stating it could support HD live streaming. However, after using about 100GB, the speed was forcibly reduced to below 128kbps, making it difficult to even send WeChat messages. The China Consumer Association’s 2023 report indicated that over 35% of complaints regarding Portable WiFi involved “data misrepresentation.” Many products use very small fonts on their detail pages to indicate “speed reduction after data limit” or “high-speed data only up to 100GB,” playing word games. “This is not unlimited data; it’s simply ‘unlimited tricks.’ When buying, it was said to be a highway, but using it turned into a muddy country road, and I was still charged highway fees.” commented a user from a complaint platform, “Traveler Xiao Zhang.”
(2) Mandatory Prepayment and Difficulty in Refunds. A trap binding users’ funds.
Ms. Wang purchased a Portable WiFi from a certain brand (such as Roaming Treasure, which has been exposed) and found that she had to prepay at least 100 yuan in call fees to activate it. After the device had quality issues, the merchant refused to refund, claiming that “the prepaid call fee is a virtual service and is non-refundable once activated.” This essentially ties hardware sales with telecom services, locking users in with prepaid funds, and market regulators often find it difficult to handle due to the “interpretation rights of service terms belonging to the merchant.”
(3) False Advertising and Signal Fabrication. Technical means to deceive consumers.
Some merchants display phrases like “5G all-network support” and “signal coverage in uninhabited areas” on product pages. In reality, the products only support 4G networks and have cheap internal modules with very weak signal reception capabilities. Moreover, some low-quality devices have been exposed by CCTV’s “Weekly Quality Report” to contain software that can fabricate false full signal icons, deceiving users into thinking they have “good signal” while being unable to connect to the internet, blaming the issue on the operator’s network.
(4) Information Security Concerns. Unregulated “network backdoors.”
A large number of white-label devices are produced by unknown small factories, and their underlying firmware may not have undergone any security testing. Experts from the National Internet Emergency Center (CNCERT) have pointed out that such devices may have backdoors that steal users’ connected Wi-Fi passwords, browsing history, and even hijack network connections to inject ads or phishing sites. All of the user’s online activities are transmitted through an untrusted device, leaving privacy and security unprotected.
3. Recommendations: Implement precise “regulation and correction” to promote industry integrity.
(1) Establish Mandatory Industry Standards (Regulation: Clarify Development Path). The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in conjunction with the National Standardization Administration, should quickly issue mandatory national standards for “Portable WiFi Devices and Technology Specifications.” It must clearly require:
① Product packaging and detail pages must prominently display in a font size no smaller than the main text the terms “high-speed data limit” and “speed after limit.” ② The use of misleading advertising such as “unlimited data” is prohibited; ③ Devices must pass the model approval of the National Radio Administration (SRRC certification) and basic network security certification.
(2) Conduct Targeted Law Enforcement and Regulation (Correction: Crack Down on Bad Actors). Before and after major promotional events like 618 and Double Eleven, the State Administration for Market Regulation and local market supervision bureaus should conduct targeted inspections of Portable WiFi products on mainstream e-commerce platforms. The focus of inspections should be on “data misrepresentation” and “signal fabrication,” and use technical means to check the security of device firmware. For stores found to have false advertising and fraudulent consumption, not only should products be removed from shelves, but they should also face heavy fines based on illegal gains, and the results of penalties should be publicly disclosed.
(3) Strengthen E-commerce Platform Management Responsibilities (Correction: Guard the First Line of Defense). E-commerce platforms like Tmall, JD, and Pinduoduo should establish an admission review mechanism, requiring merchants to upload qualifications such as SRRC certification and telecommunications equipment access licenses. For consumer complaints concentrated on the “prepayment trap,” platforms should optimize refund processes and establish a mechanism to separate handling of “hardware product quality issues” and “virtual service fees” to ensure the safety of users’ prepaid funds.
(4) Establish Consumer Warning and Information Transparency Mechanisms (Regulation: Empower Consumers). The China Consumer Association and industry self-regulatory alliances should regularly publish “Portable WiFi Consumer Evaluation Reports,” comparing different products’ “actual usable data vs. advertised data” and “real internet speeds under different signal strengths” and other core indicators, making them public. This will provide consumers with a “pitfall avoidance guide” and allow the market selection mechanism to truly function, forcing companies to return to honest business practices.
Through the above combination of “regulation and correction,” clarifying the responsibilities of the government, platforms, and enterprises, and using standards, regulation, and exposure as specific means, we can ensure that Portable WiFi, this “pocket network,” can truly be both “convenient” and “trustworthy,” achieving healthy and sustainable development.