World Mobile, a blockchain and sharing economy–driven telecom provider, has announced the opening of its commercial cellular network in Zanzibar. With World Mobile now officially launched in the East African territory, residents of Zanzibar can take advantage of mobile data prices that are 50% lower than the national average.
By taking a novel approach to the telecommunications industry, World Mobile hopes to solve a problem that has caught the attention of tech giants like Google and Facebook. The company plans to do this by creating a sharing economy to pay for the installation of telecom infrastructure in underserved areas of Africa and beyond.
The service offered by the company gives access to telecommunication for a fraction of the price of conventional mobile network providers. Furthermore, small-scale entrepreneurs in underserved areas can join the network as node operators, provide internet access to their neighbours, and reap rewards.
Located off the coast of Tanzania, the island of Zanzibar is home to a sizable population of approximately 1.8 million people. Due to the constraints of preexisting providers, the semi-autonomous zone was selected to test out World Mobile’s hybrid-connectivity network. Just about 46% of people in Tanzania have access to the internet, with most people living in cities. Because of these obstacles, many businesses are unable to fully benefit from the digital economy.
World Mobile’s Android app on Google Play has helped ease the process of going from a proof of concept to a commercial model. The Android app streamlines data bundle management and provides a foundation for users to establish a unique digital identify and access a variety of high-value features.
World Mobile’s focus on openness in the sharing economy continues with the latest upgrade to its network explorer, WMTScan, which now details the highest-paying AirNodes. The company’s low-cost mobile data service has been in high demand in Zanzibar, with weekly sign-ups averaging 1,000 and peak daily users reaching 16,000 in May 2023.
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