The next big thing in crypto? 3air connects billions with blockchain powered internet platform
The telecom and internet industries are plagued with problems in the current Web2 system. These problems are further compounded by the dismal state of Africa’s internet architecture. 3air hopes to revolutionize these systems in African cities using wireless mesh technology, with subscriptions provided through NFTs. These NFTs will also help unbanked Africans receive DeFi services with the aim of empowering them to connect to the global economy.
3air aims to build a seamless long-range internet system using K3’s Last Mile wireless mesh system. The company will build base centers across the continent, and since these centers have a range of fifty kilometers, they will cover even the most remote areas of the continent. This technology is already in widespread use on three different continents, including Africa itself. The two companies have already entered into a partnership, and plan to install these stations from 2023.
This internet service will be provided through the use of NFTs as a subscription. This subscription service format is superior to Web2’s version for a number of reasons. Customers own their subscription, giving them the ability to sell the service on a decentralized marketplace, transfer the service to another person at will, and allow customers to reserve their financial data to prevent it from being sold on their behalf. Web3 subscriptions prevent them from giving real power to the customer to use their service the way they want. These NFTs will also provide other 3air services, such as microfinance and cryptocurrency wallets.
Technology of this caliber is desperately needed in sub-Saharan Africa. There is a digital divide on the continent due to a lack of proper hardware; most cell towers are either 2G or 3G. Of the 73% of the population who have access to mobile subscriptions, these towers mean that only 20% of these users have access to the internet. Additionally, network cables are difficult to install in Africa’s major cities, as they were never built with the intention of putting them in in the first place. 3air’s plan to install wireless mesh centers avoids these problems entirely.
With these internet services offered across the continent, 3air aims to help the unbanked population in Africa. 57% of Africans do not have access to a banking system, either online or on the ground. The lack of these services means that more than half of the population cannot access bank or current accounts, receive loans of any amount or transfer money between themselves and others. With the advent of widespread internet services, Africans can use 3air’s blockchain to receive microloans and create cryptocurrency wallets, giving them a form of checking and savings accounts.
These services must be fast and affordable. 3air uses the SKALE blockchain for exactly this reason. This blockchain has low gas fees, the main barrier to entry to Web3, and appropriate processing times; both of which scale exceptionally well; making it perfect for a burgeoning internet service on the African continent. With proven technologies and a public roadmap, the company will begin rolling out services when construction begins in 2023.
