PORTABLE BANDWIDTH SERVER

摘要

Systems and methods are disclosed for a user to share bandwidth among multiple devices, and for a sharing device to share available bandwidth among different users. The bandwidth sharing platform can leverage social network techniques to facilitate user access, and sharing is incentivized by rewarding various types of sharing activity.

主权项

1. A system including a server having an interface to a data network, the server configured to perform the steps of:
maintaining a data usage allocation account for a user, the data usage allocation account including an available balance of data for use by the user on the data network; receiving an indication of data usage by the user from a device that provides connectivity for the data usage to the user, the indication of data usage identifying the user and an amount of the data usage; subtracting the amount of the data usage from the data usage allocation account for the user; when the data usage allocation account is at or below zero, sending a notification to the device; and when the user accesses the device with a client for connectivity to the data network, crediting an account of an operator of the device with a supplemental data usage allocation.