DePIN-based Wifi Dabba sets goals to democratise internet connectivity in India

The next goal in Dabba’s roadmap is to deploy over 100,000 of its Solana DePIN-powered devices throughout India by the end of 2024. Image: Courtesy Wifi Dabba

DePINs or Decentralised Physical Infrastructure Networks are a newer frontier in DeFi, one that creates a blockchain-based marketplace of sorts, congregating hardware service providers across different industries. Founded in 2017, Wifi Dabba is a DePIN-based internet service provider. On March 15, the team announced the launching of a second round of its DePIN-powered devices for the ‘data hungry generation’, as they put it.

Decentralisation is the goal of Dabba. As they have researched, only 30 million of India’s 1.4 billion plus people have access to WiFi, and a little under 50% have no internet connection of any kind. Dabba aims to increase internet connectivity across India, and they have already done one round with the deployment of its DePIN-connected devices. Reportedly, these devices have reached a steady monthly spending of 90-100 terabytes of data.

While the existing major telecom companies focus on tier 1 and 2 cities, the fast-growing economy needs the support of all of its population to achieve true technological revolution. Here’s where Wifi Dabba comes in.

The Wifi Dabba DePIN is based on the Solana blockchain. Those with their own router hardware can onboard the network, and get rewarded with Dabba tokens in return for allowing users on the network to use data through hotspot. Such service providers are responsible for maintaining their own hardware, while users get unrestricted access to internet through the blockchain network.

The next goal in Dabba’s roadmap is to deploy over 100,000 of its Solana DePIN-powered devices throughout India by the end of 2024.

As Wifi Dabba looks to revolutionise internet connectivity in India, it also brings the DePIN technology to a wider mass- one still known only to a handful of tech enthusiasts. Such decentralised marketplaces bring the functionality of blockchain to the real world and can be potentially revolutionary, allowing the general populace easier access a wide range of products and services they can not otherwise avail due to geographical, economical, or censorship restrictions, among others.

India has already embraced blockchain in a diverse array of use cases. DePIN is a newer innovation yet to be popularised, but it will be interesting to see what further utilities this particular sector will bring in the coming times.

Shashank is the founder of yMedia. He ventured into crypto in 2013 and is an ETH maximalist.
Twitter: @bhardwajshash