Ask HN: Why are there no 5G USB-C dongles for laptops?

I was deciding between a Macbook Air and framework laptop. I thought one way I can justify buying a Framework over MBA(and give up stellar battery life, proper sleep/instant wakeup function etc) is if it could be had with 5G connectivity that would allow me to use the laptop even while I''m on the train without drining my phone battery for a hotspot.

But, to my surprise, I could not find any 5G dongles that are cheap and available to buy easily... I found one on an Austrian website intended for IOT uses coming at a price almost as that of a laptop.https://www.fts-hennig.at/netztechnik/router/mobilfunkrouter/hocell-5g-dongle-m210.html

What am I missing? If my phone could have 5G and even my watch could have 5G for cheap, why not a laptop?

I’ve been looking for the same to no avail. I’d buy one for my MacBook in an instant but the only things available in Germany are bulky hotspot devices with built-in batteries for 300-700€.

Even better, USB tethering -- no Wi-Fi needed. At least on Android, it's very easy to enable.

It's also a lifesaver when Wi-Fi drivers are unavailable on Linux, as you can use USB tethering, and use your phone as a USB Wi-Fi dongle.

There seem to be plenty on Amazon just not USB-C, which is a shame for the manufacturers who don't include USB-A sockets any more :(

WiFi dongles are worth considering even though the wifi is a potential bottleneck. In most travel situations you are more interested in stability than max speed and having a WiFi dongle allows you to position it away from the laptop, in a window or high up to pick up marginal 5G signals.

A lot of laptops have a built in 5G modem, or just a slot and antennas for a 5G card that user can install if needed.

https://www.delltechnologies.com/asset/en-us/products/laptop...

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/latitude-5440-l...