Decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) Dabba plans to boost internet to the unconnected in India via the launch of 100,000 Dabba Lite devices in the country.
Dabba, a blockchain-based company aiming to connect the unconnected with a visionary decentralised physical infrastructure (DePIN) network, announced the launch of its Season 2 campaign in India. The campaign aims to deploy over 100,000 Dabba Lite devices across India this year to offer cheap and accessible internet services.
This follows the Season 1 campaign trial in the most populous country, where it sold all 1,000 Dabba Lite devices within days of launch earlier this year. These campaigns aim to bring super fast and affordable internet to India via its robust decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN).
The company has partnered with key investors in this project, including Multicoin Capital, Y Combinator and Borderless Capital, which previously played a key role in helping Google expand its public WiFi and FSOC initiatives.
India, the world’s most populous country with over 1.43 billion people has suffered from poor internet services, and the latest initiative aims to greatly increase the availability of internet services across the country. Less than half of the population has access to internet services with only 30 million Indians enjoying access to fast WiFi services. By providing fast and affordable internet to the country, Dabba aims to unlock this massive potential the country holds in internet and digital assets, as Arul Murugan, Managing Partner at Borderless Capital explained.
“With more than 1.4 billion people and the limitation to expand the fixed broadband connectivity, India represents the largest market for decentralised wireless and WiFi networks, and Dabba is strategically positioned to become a market leader within this space,” Murugan stated.
Providing access to this underserved nation will set Dabba as an industry leader in DePIN services, he further explained. This will be made possible by Dabba building a network of Local Cable operators (LCOs) and deploying its low-cost, proprietary networking hardware to urban and rural areas within the country.
Hotspot owners on the platform are invited to purchase Dabba Lite hardware and choose an LCO, which deploys the device on their behalf. Once the hotspot owners start providing internet services around their area, they can earn token rewards, calculated according to the quantity of data consumed by hotspot users. The hotspot owners will only be paid when hotspot devices are set up in locations where customers pay for WiFi connectivity.
“Dabba’s strategic alliance with stakeholders essential for connectivity, especially Local Cable Operators (LCOs) marks a pivotal shift in India’s internet landscape,” said Shayon Sengupta of Multicoin Capital. “This innovative model not only enhances connectivity but also drives grassroots economic growth, positioning Dabba as a key player in India’s quest for universal internet access.”
With the recent upsurge in data demand, India’s supply lags way behind and Dabba could be the solution to filling up the demand. Notwithstanding, the country has also witnessed a resurgence in its appetite for cryptocurrencies and digital assets, a powerful combination which could drive Dabba’s mission towards leading the internet supply space in India.
As alluded to, the company successfully completed its first test campaign with 1,000 Dabba Lite devices deployed over the first two months of the year. These devices have, so far, seen a steady consumption of 90-100 TB of paid data per month, showing the rising demand for cheap internet in India. Powered by the Dabba token, Dabba will aggregate and leverage over 150,000 LCOs and help them efficiently scale their operations in remote and suburban areas of India.
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