Wifi Dabba, a low-cost Internet service provider, said it will deploy 100 supernodes, an innovative technology, across Bangalore in 2020.
The YCombinator backed Wifi Dabba aims to offer 1GBPS Internet speed with pre-paid plans Rs 1 per GB — with no installation fee, router fee or speed capping. Wifi Dabba’s broadband engineers will use mesh technology called Supernodes that will cost 1/10th of fiber cable installation.
Wifi Dabba has invested around $1.7 million in last three years to come up with Supernodes, an alternative to fibre optic cables that are currently the backbone for ISPs across the world. The Supernodes technology utilises lasers to transmit bandwidth across long distance without the use of any fibre optic cables.
Wifi Dabba is creating a virtual topology map of Bangalore city that will allow to decide the most optimal locations to install the Supernodes. WiFi Dabba doesn’t rely on third-party hardware, software or infrastructure.
Headquartered in Bangalore, the company has developed proprietary hardware, software and networking that saves a lot on vendor margins. The lasers 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.
Karam Lakshman, CEO and CTO of Wifi Dabba said: “Supernodes are revolutionary not because of what they cost but how they compare in price with legacy technology. Fibre is the key word in the ISP fraternity currently but, it is the most expensive part of this ecosystem.”
Shubhendu Sharma, COO of Wifi Dabba India, said the company has installed over 1,000 hotspots in Bengaluru, offering internet connectivity for Rs 2 for 200MB when they started. The startup also provides connectivity to over 10,000 co-living spaces in the city, and users who enjoy prepaid billing and roaming on WiFi.
