Karma is a Sprint based MVNO, offering cellular data plans tied to their own proprietary hotspot devices - the Karma Voyage.
Karma as a cellular data provider has a history - and it's not all good.
Last Update: May 2021
Sprint is now part of T-Mobile, as per the merger that closed on April 1, 2020.
New Sprint customers are directed to T-Mobile to sign up for their plans, however, some of Sprint's legacy plans are still available in-store or over the phone. Customers on existing direct Sprint plans will be able to retain those plans for three years following the merger without price increases or changes to features.
The two networks still operate mostly independently with their own towers and frequency bands but are systematically being integrated. As of May 2021, most Sprint phones, Tablet, and mobile hotspots will freely roam onto the T-Mobile network thanks to network changes behind the scenes as well as roaming list updates pushed to Sprint devices.
T-Mobile is also offering most Sprint smartphone customers the ability to choose the "T-Mobile Network Experience". In short, TNX allows Sprint network customers with compatible devices to trade in their Sprint SIM card for a T-Mobile SIM card and move their plan to the T-Mobile network while retaining the features, billing, and terms of their original Sprint plan. You can read more about what this means here.
At present time - aside from Boost being sold to Dish Network - there are no changes to 3rd party, reseller, or MVNO plans sold on the Sprint network. However, we are continuing to monitor the situation and will update as appropriate.
Karma History and Information
History
History
Karma made headlines late in 2015 when it announced an unlimited data plan called 'Neverstop' for $50/month. Though speeds were capped at a modest 5Mbps, this plan generated a huge amount of interest from those desperate for a truly unlimited cellular data plan - and Karma sold a lot of hotspots.
It only took Karma a few weeks to discover that the usage demands of the Neverstop plan were higher than it could deliver, and in February 2016 Karma canceled the Neverstop plan entirely and introduced the Pulse plan instead.
Karma's original pay-as-you-go Refuel plan with non-expiring data was discontinued in late 2016 as well.
In late 2017, Karma changed its plans again, offering capped buckets of data on its plans - with purchased data lasting for three months before it expires.
Many of the customers who signed up for Neverstop sent their Karma Go's back for an "unconditional" refund. Unfortunately, even by the end of 2016 many of those refunds reportedly still had not been fulfilled, generating a whole lot of bad karma for Karma online.
Data Plans
Karma based plans are only available for use on Karma proprietary devices. They offer capped data plans and an app to monitor and navigate your data plans. All plans include a $2.95/month fee for Unlimited Rollover Subscription, which means your unused data will rollover to the next month.
Currently Available Plans:
- 5GB - $49.95 + $2.95/month for Unlimited Rollover Monthly Subscription
- 10GB - $99.90 + $2.95/month for Unlimited Rollover Monthly Subscription
Plan Specifications:
- Carrier Networks Used: Sprint
- Carrier Relationship: MVNO
- Plan Types Available: Data Only
- Device Types Permitted: Karma Proprietary Hotspot Devices
- Unlimited: No
- High Speed Mobile Hotspot Use: All
- Throttling: None
- Network Management: None
- Video Streaming Resolution: No bundled services, no apparent speed caps.
- 5G Access: No
- Device Purchase Required: Yes
- Plan Period: 30 Days
- International Roaming: None
- Domestic Roaming: Unknown
- Data Roll Over: Yes
- Overage Charges: No
- Lines permitted per account: Not specified
- Extras:
Device: Karma Voyage
Karma offers their own proprietary device, and the device must be purchased for use with their plans.
Device Specifications
- Model Number: Karma Voyage
- # of Connected Devices:
- Control Panel and Default Password:
- Control Panel:
- Default Admin Password:
- USB Tethering Support: Yes
- Networks supported:
- LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation: No
- MIMO Support:
- LTE Performance Category:
- Cellular Antenna Ports:
- Other Ports:
- Wi-Fi Technology / Frequencies: 802.11 a/b/g/n
- Battery:
- Claimed Battery Life: 10 hours
- Can Be Powered Without a Battery:
- Battery Part #:
- Battery Purchase
- Dimensions: 4.25 x 2.5 x 0.6 inches
- SIM Card Type: Nano
- Retail Price: $79.99
News, Videos, & Status
We purchased a Karma Go device when the very promising "Neverstop" plan was announced in November 2015. We used it sporadically until the Neverstop plan was discontinued in February 2016.
News Stories:
Potential Alternatives to Consider:
For other popular mobile hotspots on the market - here are our featured options:
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Shopping for Cellular Data Plans
Finding the right plans for your needs is no easy task - quite simply mobile travelers using cellular data as their primary way online is not how most carriers have designed their plans. Many of us want plans that provide copious amounts of data.
Understanding the different plan terms (like network management, throttling, hotspot data, video resolution) is key to determining if a plan will meet your needs or not. You also need plans that are suitable for use in the device you want to use them in - such as smartphone, mobile hotspot device or cellular embedded router.
To learn more about shopping for dataplans, check out these key guides:
As heavily as the carriers push their "Unlimited' data plans - you'll quickly discover that most have limits. Here's a video going over what you need to know about unlimited plans, including 3rd party resellers plans that you might find on the internet:
But a data plan alone will not keep you online - it's only one part of the equation. You also need the right gear and signal enhancing strategy.
For more education on assembling a cellular centric mobile internet setup, head on over to our collection of guides:
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