- Dabba rolls out 10,000 hotspots for DePIN users in India.
- Season Two of Dabba’s program launches on May 23.
- Token Event on Solana scheduled for July.
Despite being home to the world’s second-highest number of Internet users, India is critically underserved in terms of Internet access. This is especially true for rural areas, where traditional service providers are not reliably available.
However, decentralized infrastructure could be a solution to this issue. Most recently, Dabba, a decentralized physical infrastructure provider (DePIN), announced a rapid expansion of its network in underserved areas.
Dabba Adds 10,000 New Hotspots in India
On Thursday, May 23, Dabba announced the launch of the second season of its demand-driven DePIN program. This phase will see the introduction of 10,000 new hotspots available for purchase globally, with a focus on deployment by network partners across India.
Sponsored
The deployment of these hotspots aims to address the lack of reliable access to wireless data, especially in India’s rural and semi-urban areas. Despite India’s large Internet user base, a recent study found that over 70% of the population has poor or no access to the Internet.
Government efforts have so far failed to address this issue, and among the 20% of the poorest in India, less than 9% have Internet access. Dabba hopes that low-cost decentralized solutions could help fix this issue.
Dabba is looking to tap into the resources of some 150,000 local cable operators (LCOs) in India. The company will give these providers the tools to deploy Dabba hotspots and offer high-speed internet to their communities.
Sponsored
What is more, the network has seen promising results in its early stages. Since the launch of its testnet, Dabba has deployed over 1,500 hotspots, connecting more than 15,000 unique devices. Collectively, users have transferred over 390 terabytes of data over the network.
Hotspot Expansion Comes Before Solana Token Generation Event
Dabba plans to roll out additional hotspots when demand grows enough to make them necessary. The company is also taking steps to create a decentralized marketplace for users and providers.
The first step for this process is the token generation event on the Solana blockchain, scheduled for July. This token will enable data consumers to pay data providers on the marketplace, helping reward them for building and maintaining the infrastructure.
To get the token off the ground, Dabba is also offering enhanced genesis rewards to all participants who sign up before the token generation event.
On the Flipside
- Earlier this year, several crypto exchanges left India after the country’s crackdown on crypto assets.
- Due to its large population, India has some of the highest numbers of crypto holders in the world. According to one survey, the country has 95 million holders, equivalent to 10% of the country’s population.
Why This Matters
Dabba’s ambitious plan to deploy 10,000 hotspots in underserved regions is a critical step towards achieving greater digital inclusion in India. By focusing on areas that lack reliable internet access, Dabba is addressing a significant barrier to socio-economic development. Reliable internet connectivity can transform lives by providing access to information, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
Read more about India’s crypto crackdown:
Binance Likely to Resume Operations in India: Here’s Why
Read more about the SEC’s Ethereum ETF approval:
Is ETH ETF Victory a Sign of Government Intervention?
