- WiFi dabba, a Hotspot based internet service provider is scripting a new revolution in internet connectivity, in India, where all one needs to pay is a meager Two Rupees per 1 GB of seamless data usage.
Y Combinator, a Bengaluru based startup has come up with this novel idea of providing data via small routers powered by fiber optics.
The wireless broadband provider is offering 1GBPS speed with pre-paid plans as low as Rs 1 per GB in certain parts of Bangalore through its proprietary mesh technology called Supernodes, which use lasers that make a mesh over the city- that brings down the cost drastically.
The company claims that the lasers are eye-safe and can communicate over distances of up to 2 km with no latency. The supernode includes a weather sensor, CCTV, and other devices to monitor the conditions around it. It is also planning to install 100 Supernodes across Bangalore by 2020 to offer service to individuals and corporate parks. The executive said that the start-up has developed proprietary hardware, software and networking that saves a lot on vendor margins.
The executive said that Wi-Fi Dabba is now getting a lot of partnership requests and it is now exploring providing its entire technology stack to entrepreneurs. Starting operations in 2017, Wi-Fi Dabba started selling sachet-sized high speed internet at tea stalls across Karnataka. In 2018, it expanded its network to serve co-living segment, followed by the commercial deployment of Supernodes as an underground fiber replacement in 2019.
"Middle and last mile was a challenge. For the middle-mile, ISPs were not able to serve customers. We sorted out our technology and this year we have a big roll-out plan," Sharma said. A few big telcos had also approached the startup for an acquisition, Sharma said, adding, “we had declined offers because we want to reach a sizeable scale first. It is now the right to get acquired.”