Karma partners with GroundLink car service to provide free WiFi during select rides in New York City

Social WiFi provider Karma has formed a partnership with car service GroundLink to offer free Internet service in select VIP-class cars within New York City. As a result, passengers who get around town with GroundLink will be able to hop online quickly using Karma.

A TechStars New York alumnus, Karma operates both as a device and a service. It’s a 4G wireless hotspot that doesn’t have a contract — users just pay $14 per gigabyte. The difference between it and ordinary MiFi cards is the social layer. It adds free data for every person that hops on and both you and your friend will receive 100 megabytes of more data to play with.

It’s fitting then that since its origination in New York City, it should partner with a company in the city to offer Internet connectivity. As people are often hustling around the US’s most populated city, being able to get things done while you’re waiting in traffic or dealing with that long commute has become incredibly important. As you’re being chauffeured around town, you can take out your mobile phone, tablet, or laptop and log onto the Internet instantly.

And while Karma’s service would normally cost $14 per gigabyte, through the GroundLink partnership, it’s free.

GroundLink is somewhat similar to Uber in that it utilizes technology to help better connect itself with riders. It has more than 45,000 “independent ground travel vendors” and services the majority of NYC, including Williamsburg and Brooklyn, two cities not frequently serviced by taxi cabs, at least not until recently.

Karma CEO Steven van Wel said in a statement:

We love how GroundLink’s premium service helps riders get around town. Now with the addition of free Karma Wi-Fi [sic], we’re making everyone’s ride a connected one. This partnership with GroundLink marks the next step in Karma’s global initiative to unlock access to Wi-Fi on-the-go.

Photo credit: John Moore/Getty Images