Althea

Broadband

Stories about Broadband.

8 posts
Blockchain

Thoughts on the Interconnection between Communications and Financial Services

Financial empowerment and the ownership and choice of communications are the key pillars to solving the digital divide. Recent numbers from Microsoft [https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/03/05/update-connecting-rural-america/] indicate that over forty percent of people in the US do not access the internet at broadband speeds, a problem that is often relegated to the lack of infrastructure, making the case that there simply isn’t enough “internet pipes” to reach everyone. A quick gl

4 min read
Africa

Althea in Nigeria

Written by Yakubu Yakubu, Nigerian Network Operator/Coordinator Diplomats Park Nigeria has the largest population in Africa at about 200million citizens. However, only 46% of the population have internet access via cellular carriers. Many people lack adequate and qualitative internet connectivity, This is due in part to inefficiency in coming up with innovative technological solutions that address the situation and also big telecommunication companies who would prefer to monopolise the ind

4 min read
Althea business

Introduction to Researching Market Potential

Researching market potential is an important part of starting an Althea network. While adding more links to an existing Althea network is relatively easy, setting up that network is similar to starting a wireless ISP business and requires research and planning to ensure that take rate and revenue make sense. The three basic things to consider when evaluating an area are wholesale backhaul, competition, and an understanding of the community and demographics. Wholesale Backhaul Buying backhaul

2 min read
altheahood

Getting Started with Community Outreach

Networks are made out of more than antennas and ethernet cables. They are homes and business - neighbors - connected to one another. These neighbors can also become relays, forwarding bandwidth to nearby homes and earning money. Althea organizers are project managers that spread the word and help coordinate installation, planning, and outreach. Community Outreach usually starts by establishing a social media presence.  If you are planning a network primarily comprised of businesses, you may con

4 min read
Altheamesh

Faster, Cheaper Internet in Medellin Colombia

Before the Red Medellin team brought in Althea's innovative technology, options for internet access were limited in Comuna 13, one of the sprawling urban communities on the hills surrounding Medellin Colombia. A few of the homes had low-speed DSL access, but most people relied on expensive cell data plans. Many of these data plans “zero rate”, or give free access to sites like Facebook and WhatsApp, while charging high prices for the rest of the web. This gives people a very narrow perception of

2 min read
Altheamesh

March Update

We were so busy building and growing I think we missed an update in February! We now have 23 users in Clatskanie [https://blog.althea.org/tales-from-the-field/], and several relays (a relay is a node that has a connecting antenna and an antenna that broadcasts to neighbors – relays make money by forwarding bandwidth). People in Clatskanie are now paying for their internet by loading Ethereum on to their routers [http://www.althea.org/top-up] using the Coinbase mobile app with a debit card and

2 min read