A second way online, ready the moment you need it.
The UniFi LTE Backup Pro is a small device wired into your network. It holds a cellular connection in reserve. If your main internet goes down, it carries your network over a 4G/LTE signal until the main line returns.
Automatic
No switch to flip. It watches your main connection and takes over within seconds of an outage.
Out of the way
It sits idle while your regular internet is healthy. It does not slow down your normal connection.
Managed by us
We install it, wire it into your UniFi gear, and handle the setup. A small screen on the front shows its signal and status.
The one thing it needs from you
A cellular device needs a cellular plan, the same as a phone. This one takes an AT&T SIM card with a data plan. That is the only part we cannot supply out of our own stock.
A SIM card is the small chip that connects the device to a cellular network. The LTE Backup Pro uses a nano-SIM, the same size most phones use today.
It has to be AT&T. This device is built and certified for the AT&T network only. A Verizon or T-Mobile SIM will not work in it, even if that is your phone carrier. SIMs from smaller carriers that run on AT&T's network are fine.
Good to know
The SIM is independent of your phone. You do not need to be an AT&T phone customer, and it does not touch your existing phone plan. It is its own small line of service, just for the backup device.
Get the SIM card
Three ways to do this. Pick whichever is easiest for you. If you would rather not deal with it at all, the last option is us.
Pick one up at a store
Walk into any AT&T store and ask for a prepaid data-only SIM for a tablet or hotspot. Tell them it's for a backup internet device. Bring it home and pass it to us. This is the most reliable route.
Order it online
Go to att.com/prepaid, choose a data-only plan for a tablet or hotspot, and have the SIM shipped to you. Tell us when it arrives.
Let us handle it
Ask and we will source and set up the SIM for you. You cover the monthly plan with AT&T; we take care of getting it in the device and working.
Get the nano size. Most SIMs come as a punch-out card with all three sizes nested together; the nano is the smallest one. If a store hands you a single fixed size, ask for nano. When in doubt, we will sort it during install.
Pick a data plan
A backup connection sips data. It only does anything on the days your main internet is down, so the smallest plan is almost always plenty. Here are AT&T's current prepaid data-only options.
| Data plan | What it costs |
|---|---|
| 15 GB Month to month, cancel anytime — the simple default |
$35/moSimplest |
| 20 GB Sold only as a yearly plan, paid up front |
$240/yr works out to about $20/mo |
| 50 GB Frequent or long outages, or video during them |
$55/mo |
| 100 GB A site that may run on backup for long stretches |
$90/mo |
For most people the 15 GB plan is the easy choice: it's month to month, nothing paid up front, and you can cancel anytime. If you don't mind paying for a full year at once, the 20 GB plan costs less over time (about $20/month) and gives you a little more data. Either is far more than a backup connection normally uses. A 5 GB top-up is $10 if you ever run low.
Prices are AT&T's published rates as of June 2026, from att.com. AT&T sets these and can change them at any time — pricing isn't something we control.
Want to spend even less? Several smaller carriers resell AT&T's network for less than AT&T charges directly. Their SIMs work in this device. If you would like us to point you at a couple of current options, just ask.
Activation
Activation is the step that switches the SIM on with AT&T. It happens once. After that, the SIM lives inside the device and you never touch it again.
- We can do it during the visitHand us the SIM and we activate it on site, drop it in the device, and confirm the backup connects before we leave. This is the usual path.
- Or you can activate it aheadIf you would rather have it ready to go, activate online at att.com/prepaid/activations (or in the store when you buy it), then give us the live SIM.
- Set up AutoPayWhoever holds the AT&T account turns on AutoPay so the plan never lapses. A lapsed plan means no backup on the day you need it.
One account detail worth deciding
The AT&T plan is billed to whoever sets it up. Most clients keep it in their own name so the account and payment are theirs. If you would prefer we manage it, we can talk through that. Either way, the monthly charge is AT&T's, not ours.
Two costs, kept separate.
One is a one-time charge from us for the hardware and install. The other is the monthly cellular plan you pay AT&T. We do not mark up or rebill the AT&T plan.
The LTE Backup Pro and the work to wire it into your network. This is on your quote or invoice from us.
The 15 GB prepaid plan that keeps the SIM live, month to month. About $20/mo if you prepay a year, or less with a reseller. Cancel any time.
Good to have answered.
How much data does a backup connection actually use?
On a normal month, close to none, because it only carries traffic when your main internet is down. During an outage, light use like email, card payments, and browsing is easy on data. Streaming video or large downloads burn through it fast, so if you expect to keep a TV running during outages, size up a plan.
Will AT&T hit me with a big overage bill?
No. A prepaid plan can't run up a surprise bill. If you reach the data cap, the connection simply slows or pauses until the next month, and you can add a $10 top-up if you need more right then. There is no contract and no overage charge.
Can I just use my phone's plan or my existing AT&T line?
The device needs its own SIM, so it can't share your phone's line. If you're already an AT&T customer you could add a data line to your account, but a separate prepaid data SIM is usually cheaper and keeps the backup off your personal bill.
My phone is on Verizon (or T-Mobile). Is that a problem?
Not at all. The SIM in the backup device is independent of your phone carrier. You can be on any carrier for your phone and still put an AT&T SIM in this device. It just has to be AT&T for the device itself.
What about the AT&T senior or 55+ discount I've heard about?
Those discounts apply to AT&T phone plans and home internet bundles, not to a data-only SIM in a backup device, so they don't come into play here. The prepaid data plan is already the low-cost option for this purpose.
Does the device need its own power outlet?
No. It draws power over the same network cable that connects it to your UniFi equipment, so there's no extra plug to find a spot for.
What happens when my real internet comes back?
The device notices automatically and moves your network back to the main connection. The cellular link goes back to standby. You don't have to do anything.
Call or text and we'll tell you exactly what to order, or just handle the SIM for you. It's your equipment; we make it easy.