Trying to find a Wi-Fi hotspot while away from home or the office can be hard enough. Trying to find a hotspot while traveling internationally can be an even bigger pain in the neck.
GeeFi is a hotspot that promises unlimited 4G Wi-Fi service from just about anywhere. The patented, pocket-sized device houses an advanced chipset that delivers fast, reliable 4G/LTE Wi-Fi with unlimited data. Users can wirelessly connect up to 10 devices to GeeFi, which touts speeds of 150 megabits per second for downloading and 50 megabits per second for uploading. GeeFi doubles as a charger for any USB chargeable device.
It ships in December. Future pricing isn’t provided. But Kickstarter backers have been able to order one for a pledge starting at $100 for super early birds. Its makers hope to raise $20,000 by Oct. 24.
GeeFi solves a real dilemma for many people. Other devices have, of course, attempted to solve the same problem, including Verizon Jetpacks. But those other solutions tend to be packed with data restrictions, unreliable connections, high roaming fees and inferior download and upload speeds, among other issues. Because GeeFi gets its signals from the same cell towers that mobile phones do, users shouldn’t expect it to work everywhere –- like on a cruise, in a desert or jungle, or on a mountain top. Just like with a mobile phone, if there is no 4G service available, GeeFi will use 3G or whatever else is around.
There is also an extra cost to GeeFi that could turn off some customers: $9.99 for a 24-hour “GeePass,” although its makers say they hope to eventually lower that cost. Another potential negative is that it takes 4-5 hours to charge the device fully, after which GeeFi will then last 30-48 hours, depending on how intense the usage is.