Wifi Dabba: Bringing Internet Connectivity to Every Indian Through DePIN and BONK
Amidst rapid digital growth and transformation, India is facing the challenge of moving away from traditional broadband infrastructure. According to Wifi Dabba CEO Karam Lakshman, hundreds of millions of people still lack access to reliable and affordable internet. The answer? DePIN and cryptocurrency.
Wifi Dabba, after 7 years in the telecom industry, is repositioning itself as a decentralized infrastructure network (DePIN). Its latest partnership with BONK – a meme coin on Solana – marks a significant step forward as it aims to deploy 10,000 decentralized Wi-Fi hotspots in underserved areas.
“India has over 800 million 4G/5G subscribers but only about 40 million broadband connections, compared to 120 million in the US and 600 million in China,” Lakshman points out. While Wifi Dabba initially participated in public Wi-Fi projects and assisted the government in policy formulation, they quickly realized that broadband was still a luxury for the majority of the population.
Their solution was to separate the device (hotspot) owner from the deployment point. Anyone could buy a Dabba Lite device from anywhere in the world and have Wifi Dabba install it in the areas where it was needed in India. In this way, the device owner (whether in the US or Europe) was indirectly subsidizing the cost of internet for an actual user in India.
From the user’s perspective, they were just getting an internet service that was 3 to 10 times cheaper than the current price, paid in fiat, and easy to use. Some will be given the native Wifi Dabba token, which can be used for trading or discounts on future payments. For them, it may be their first exposure to crypto.
The partnership with BONK is a smart move. With nearly 1 million wallet holders, BONK brings a small boost to the DePIN awareness campaign. Each Dabba Lite device invested by a BONK user will “burn” $20 of BONK upon activation, and continue to burn $2 per month for the next 18 months. Tokens are only burned when the device is deployed and data is consumed.
“We’re not trying to convert users to crypto. We just want to provide a better service, and if they want to learn more, we’re ready,” Lakshman concluded.
The combination of Wifi Dabba and BONK is a pioneering model for the real-world application of DePIN, where cryptocurrencies contribute to solving a very real social problem: cheap internet connection for millions of people.