XNET launched as a DePIN project focused on deploying CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) small cells — essentially mini 5G towers that individuals and businesses install to provide wireless coverage. Unlike Helium’s LoRaWAN approach (low-bandwidth IoT), XNET targets high-bandwidth cellular connectivity using licensed spectrum, which means the service is actually usable for smartphones and data-hungry applications.
XNET’s approach is more capital-intensive than Helium’s — small cells cost several thousand dollars compared to Helium’s $300-500 hotspots — but the revenue potential is proportionally higher because cellular data is worth orders of magnitude more than IoT data. XNET operators earn tokens for providing coverage and can also participate in carrier offload programs where major telecom companies pay to route traffic through XNET’s network during congestion.
The project represents the next evolution of wireless DePIN: moving from IoT-grade connectivity (Helium) to carrier-grade connectivity (XNET). If XNET can demonstrate that decentralized 5G deployment is cheaper and faster than traditional cell tower construction, the addressable market is enormous. Telecom companies spend billions annually on network densification, and a crowdsourced model could theoretically provide the same coverage at a fraction of the cost.
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