The New York Tech Blog

Your Internet connection at home is not utilized 100%, unless you’re up all night or you do heavy torrenting 24/7. Compounded with the millions of Internet users all around the world, if you come to think of it, it’s simply a terrible waste of resource. KeyWifi is looking to change all that by making it possible for users to rent out their WiFi connections for a fee. Imagine living in a city where a WiFi connection is waiting for you every time you turn on your device.

In its mission page, KeyWifi says that “Most hotspots are only used for a few hours a day, and rarely to full capacity. With KeyWifi, this unused bandwidth does not become idle, but available to whomever you want, whenever you desire. This means individuals, families, and businesses can use the internet in a collaborative fashion that radically reduces waste and cuts costs for all.”

“It would be great if Wi-Fi was always open, so I asked why is it all locked up? The answer, there is no incentive and maybe some fear. By approaching the problem of universal access as a systemic approach, we solved many challenges at the same time and created something that allows millions of people to get access cheaply and in many more locations,” said KeyWifi CEO Adam Black in an earlier interview with NYTechBlog.

Of course, this would require a lot of resource. To be able to support this project, KeyWifi started a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo with a total goal of $20,000. People will be entitled to certain perks depending on their level contribution. According to their campaign page, the funds will go to developing a user-interface that will allow anyone to sign up and share their WiFi connection.

And for those having qualms about sharing their connection to total strangers, KeyWifi says that their technology is safe and is equipped with top of the line encryption and security services.

Via Betabeat