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XNET is a Solana-based project that builds a distributed network of Wi-Fi hotspots and is partnered with Telecom Giant AT&T in the US. The collaboration will allow AT&T to offload mobile data traffic to XNET’s network, the team told LightSpeed exclusively.
XNET sells Wi-Fi hotspots that can be deployed by businesses and public spaces in exchange for XNET token rewards. Together, hotspot patchwork constitutes a distributed wireless network. XNET partners with cell carriers to offload mobile data to available hotspots, alleviating network congestion and improving coverage.
Under the AT&T agreement, which has been published since September 2024, AT&T Wireless customers will connect to XNET’s Wi-Fi networks if available. AT&T pays XNET in dollars for data usage, and XNET passes the token to the node operator.
According to Dune Dashboard, XNET currently has 688 active nodes, with around 9 million users connected via a Wi-Fi offload network. AT&T coverage and XNET’s Wi-Fi handoff are seamless, and most users don’t think it’s happening, Richard Devaul, co-founder of XNET, told me. He added that bootstrapping businesses like XNET would have been difficult without a token.
