Mobile data planning can be pretty complicated. At this era, you must certainly have one (unless you’re living in Wi-Fi haven country such as South Korea). But even choosing the right subscription is difficult. Now Simplify exists to solve your problem.
Some people rely heavily on Wi-Fi. Therefore they buy cheap mobile data that has very limited quota. And some others buy the pricey unlimited data. Then ends up having too many to spend in one month, what a waste. But what if you can get your money back?
The Malaysian startup allows people who’s got leftover mobile data to sell it on the platform. The company offers a C2C marketplace for mobile data. In 2017, it receives the title of one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.
So how does Simplify work?
It’s simple, just like the name. To sell mobile data, users can sign up an account on the app. Then they can add their hotspot name, set the rates, decide the currency to charge with and the amount of data to sell. Payment is available via PayPal and for Malaysians, it charges around RM10 per gigabyte.
Yen Pei Tay, the company CEO, is very aware that the app is susceptible to hackers. Therefore he reassures that the app double-encrypts hotspot password. Also there are no Wi-Fi passwords stored in on the cloud.
For buyers, there’s no need to set up any account on the app. You can just choose the nearest listing, pay and automatically connects to the Wi-Fi. Though the rate is set at RM10/GB, the app will charge according to the amount of data used. Even if it’s less than one GB.
However, as the app connects customers through hotspot, there are some inconveniences. Firstly, buyers have to be around data sellers. In which if you live in the place where the app is still uncommon (which is most of the place), you might not find any seller/buyer.
Secondly, users can’t move freely. Once one or the other is out of the hotspot range, then s/he has to find another one.
But for those who are likely to be in the same place for a certain amount of time, it is perfect. Many Grab drivers, for example, find this app perfect for a ride with customers.
