001. The Decentralized Wireless Manifesto
The Current State of the Wireless Industry
As the world goes increasingly digital, Internet connectivity has evolved from a first-world luxury to a basic human right. So much of our lives are now conducted online that bandwidth is without a doubt one of the core commodities of our time and will only increase in importance into the foreseeable future.
Global demand for bandwidth has been skyrocketing for years and is showing no signs of slowing down. About 50% of the demand for bandwidth comes from mobile phones, with the remainder coming from common devices such as laptops, personal computers, and tablets. Emerging use cases like AI, VR, and autonomous driving open up another demand vector that requires higher throughput and lower latency than our current networks can easily provide.
Today’s wireless networks are centralized, inefficient and ill-equipped to meet the growing need for better, faster, and more broadly distributed Internet connectivity. The immense dissatisfaction of end users speaks to the need for innovation in this space.
Internet connectivity is an incredibly valuable resource that has been mostly locked away behind antiquated business models for years. New technology and favorable regulatory changes have combined to liberate this resource and the decentralized wireless (DeWi) movement will leverage them both to democratize Internet access and ownership worldwide.
Enter Decentralized Wireless (DeWi)
We believe that the proper application of DeWi technologies will solve these problems and help service the world’s increasing connectivity needs more efficiently and equitably than ever before. The deregulation of spectrum has increased the potential supply of wireless coverage, as anyone can buy and deploy DeWi hardware. Token incentive models will ensure that this greater potential supply of wireless coverage is realized, as participants are financially motivated to create new coverage via DeWi networks that are more private, secure, and censorship-resistant than the wireless networks we have today. Helium’s IoT network is the first and best example of DeWi’s unique ability to create net new, global wireless coverage for a specific use case (IoT) that no single company or entity had seen fit to service before.
It’s difficult to imagine a world without Wi-Fi, but before its deregulation in 1985, Wi-Fi spectrum was reserved for military use only. Just as the deregulation of Wi-Fi revolutionized Internet connectivity and access by allowing anyone to buy a router and create their own wireless network, we believe recent deregulation of the CBRS spectrum will do the same for mobile networks in the United States and that other countries are sure to follow.
The unlicensed band of the CBRS spectrum is free to use and allows individuals and professional network builders alike to purchase and deploy equipment that provides cellular coverage wherever there is demand for it. This demand exists in areas that are currently uncovered by telcos due to low population density or the difficulty or cost of creating coverage. Even in areas where coverage does exist, temporary surges in demand at locations like stadiums or festivals can result in inadequate or even temporarily unusable mobile networks.
DeWi business models align the incentives of all stakeholders in a network — both those creating coverage, and those using it — through thoughtful tokenomics. The coverage created is 50%+ cheaper to the end user because the massive costs of labor, real estate, and other overhead inherent in the buildout of a wireless network are distributed outward from a centralized entity like AT&T to the millions of individuals and entities building DeWi networks. The usage of free, unlicensed spectrum is another key reason why DeWi networks can provide Internet connectivity at rates much cheaper than that of traditional wireless networks. Those deploying DeWi networks are incentivized to take on these costs via token rewards, which are paid based on the quality of coverage they provide and the amount of data that is transmitted through the hardware they deploy.
Spectrum deregulation, token incentives, and blockchain technology are fueling new decentralized models for creating and maintaining wireless coverage. Hexagon Wireless is here to accelerate their adoption.
The role of Hexagon Wireless in the coming DeWi revolution
Hexagon’s mission is to accelerate the adoption of decentralized wireless (DeWi) networks and technology. At their core, DeWi protocols are DAO’s (decentralized autonomous organizations) that require centralized entities built on top of these networks to push progress forward and provide value-added services. Wireless coverage is a complex product demanding high levels of precision and human coordination, especially with regards to new DeWi networks that provide high-speed cellular connectivity. Hexagon, Nova Labs, and Hotspotty are just a few examples of centralized players that have been instrumental in pushing the DeWi space forward.
Currently, our operations primarily consist of deploying hardware from protocols such as Helium and Pollen Mobile to build out DeWi networks, providing connectivity for devices ranging from cell phones to IoT sensors.
As the DeWi space continues to evolve and mature, we’re also building, investing in, and acquiring tools that will hasten the global adoption of DeWi in verticals such as financial services, fleet management software, and wireless coverage as a service.
We believe we’ve built — and will continue to build — one of the best teams in the space. Led by CEO Alex Kenjeev (former President of O’Leary Ventures), our team’s experience stems from DeWi mining and entrepreneurship and is supplemented by traditional wireless, engineering, banking, consulting, and legal expertise from companies like Verizon, Google, Boston Consulting Group, and Shearman & Sterling. We’ve been deeply involved in the incredible growth and success of the first DeWi network, Helium, and we’re excited by the future potential of other projects like Pollen Mobile that continue to innovate and push the space forward.
Scale is valuable in many industries, and DeWi is no exception. As a company, we’ve been able to raise and allocate capital quickly, secure prime real estate optimized for high-quality DeWi coverage and superior earnings, and lean on the relationships and expertise of our employees, advisors, and investors.
We’re thrilled to share our vision for the future of wireless connectivity with you today as we continue on this journey to build decentralized wireless networks and revolutionize the way people communicate and connect worldwide.
Website: https://www.hexagonwireless.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hexagonwireless
