karmic sharing

The Karma wireless data plan looks like a genius idea.

You pay for what you use, not a subscription that expires, and you can share it, for free. And use others' hotspots too.

As I tend to field questions like this a lot, I thought I would share this article about the Karma hotspot service. I know my mom would like to use her iPad often when she is not near WiFi. And I wished for a good WiFi connection for my laptop or phone the last time I was stuck in airports all day. The initial set out is about $80, but that includes the tiny hub, and it's only $14 per gigabyte of data, and you can use it whenever. It's not like wireless plans that charge a monthly rate for up to X gigabytes and it resets every month. You just use what you like as you like. And you can share the hotspot with up to 8 other people, and it doesn't count against your data plan. In fact, Karma encourages sharing, so if someone connects to your Karma hotspot, both of you get 100MB of free data. The initial $80 includes 1 GB of data, and with typical usage that's about four month's worth.

It's not for everyone, but it is considerably cheaper than the AT&T/Verizon sort of wireless data plans. And perfect if you don't want a monthly subscription. I'm considering getting one for my next trip. If I do, I'll write a review.

Care to Share My Hotspot? Karma is a better way to go online while on the go.

Karma is two things: First, it’s a hotspot, a tiny device that connects to 4G networks and then shares the Internet connection to any device that can use Wi-Fi—your laptop, tablet, e-reader, etc. The device, which is about the size of a large wristwatch, sells for $79. To use it, you’ll also need to purchase broadband access—and that’s where Karma really shines. There’s no contract; instead, you can buy as much or as little data as you need. Karma charges $14 for 1GB of broadband, which is enough for a few days of heavy Web surfing (or several hours if you’re watching videos or streaming music). Karma’s plan has two major advantages over pay-as-you-go data services offered by large carriers. First, Karma’s coverage doesn’t expire every month. For instance, my Verizon iPad’s 1GB plan resets every month—if I only use half of my gig, I lose the rest on the first of the month. Karma’s plan never resets. You can pay $14 and use your gigabyte over as long a time as you like—you can use 500 MB in June, nothing in July and August, and then 500 MB in September, and you’ll still have spent only $14 for access.

Of course, it also looks like a startup, and no one at the company appears over 30...