Join us as we explore the transformative power of community-owned Internet networks. Learn how these initiatives bring affordable, equitable connectivity while empowering local communities to control their digital future. Discover how innovative solutions like liquid infrastructure make investing in fiber as simple as supporting your neighborhood, ensuring everyone has access to fast, reliable broadband. Tune in and be part of the movement for digital equity and self-reliance!

Show Notes for Courseware

Althea FAQ

What is Althea?

Althea is a platform that is revolutionizing how infrastructure, particularly telecom and utilities, is funded, built, and operated. It leverages blockchain technology to create a more efficient, transparent, and community-driven model for connectivity.

What is Liquid Infrastructure?

Liquid Infrastructure is the core concept behind Althea. It involves tokenizing real-world infrastructure assets like fiber optic cables and cell towers. These tokens can be fractionalized, enabling new ways to fund and operate networks. This allows for shared costs and revenue, unlocking capital that was previously inaccessible.

What are the benefits of using Althea?

Althea offers a range of benefits for both users and infrastructure owners. Users gain access to more affordable, higher-quality internet service with increased choice and control. Owners can tap into new funding sources, streamline operations, and generate additional revenue streams.

How does the Althea L1 blockchain enhance the platform?

The Althea L1 is a purpose-built blockchain designed to handle the microtransactions essential for the machine economy. It provides instant finality and a high degree of configurability. By leveraging the Cosmos SDK, it ensures seamless integration with other blockchain networks.

What is the DePIN DEX?

The DePIN DEX is a decentralized exchange built into the Althea L1. It facilitates the trading of tokens representing various DePIN projects. This marketplace provides liquidity and fosters collaboration within the decentralized infrastructure ecosystem.

Is Althea compatible with existing telecom infrastructure?

Yes, Althea is hardware-agnostic, meaning it can be integrated with a wide range of existing infrastructure and equipment. This allows for gradual adoption and minimizes the need for costly upgrades.

How can I get involved with Althea?

There are numerous ways to engage with the Althea ecosystem:

Visit the website: Explore al.net for detailed information about the platform.
Follow on social media: Stay updated on the latest developments through Althea’s Twitter and Discord channels.
Become a validator: Contribute to the network’s security and governance by running a validator node.
Invest in Liquid Infrastructure: Participate in funding infrastructure projects through the Keystone Liquidity platform.

What is the future of Althea?

Althea is poised to transform the infrastructure landscape. By enabling open access, transparent transactions, and community ownership, it aims to build a more equitable and connected world. The continued development of Liquid Infrastructure, the DePIN DEX, and partnerships with key stakeholders will drive this vision forward.

Exploring Decentralized Infrastructure: A Deep Dive into Althea and the Future of Connectivity

1. Althea: A Platform for Liquid Infrastructure and Connectivity

Source: Excerpts from “Althea: The L1 Built For Liquid Infrastructure & Connectivity” (Podcast Transcript)

Summary: This podcast episode offers a comprehensive overview of Althea, a blockchain-based platform designed to revolutionize infrastructure financing and operation. Featuring Althea co-founder Deborah Simpier, the conversation delves into the limitations of traditional internet infrastructure, Althea’s innovative approach to open access networks and micropayments, and the potential for a future where machines programmatically interact and transact.

1.1 The Problem with Legacy Internet Infrastructure

Existing broadband infrastructure is inefficient and leaves millions without access due to cost barriers.
Traditional models prioritize coverage over profitability, leading to unsustainable network deployments.

1.2 Althea’s Solution: A Decentralized and User-Centric Approach

Althea leverages blockchain technology for transparent and programmable microtransactions between network devices.
This allows for dynamic routing based on user-selected cost or latency preferences, creating an open broadband market.
Users have more control over their internet experience and can access services tailored to their specific needs.

1.3 Tokenizing Infrastructure: Unlocking Value and Empowering Communities

Althea enables the tokenization of infrastructure assets like fiber optic cables and cell towers.
This allows for fractional ownership, making infrastructure investment accessible to a wider range of participants.
Communities can directly participate in the ownership and governance of their local networks.

1.4 The Althea L1 Blockchain: A Purpose-Built Foundation for Infrastructure

Launching soon, the Althea L1 is a hybrid EVM blockchain optimized for microtransactions and machine-to-machine payments.
It leverages the Cosmos SDK for interoperability and scalability while providing a familiar Ethereum-compatible environment.
The Althea L1 will support a native DEX, enabling the trading of tokens from various DePIN projects and fostering a vibrant ecosystem.

1.5 Partnerships and Future Applications: Expanding the Reach of Liquid Infrastructure

Althea is actively collaborating with various stakeholders, including telecom carriers and other DePIN projects.
The platform’s flexible architecture supports a wide range of applications, including decentralized energy, EV charging, and data storage.

2. Building the Infrastructure of the Future: A Closer Look at Althea L1 and Liquid Infrastructure

Source: Excerpts from “Building the Infrastructure of the Future: Althea L1, Liquid Infrastructure, and a $3 Trillion Market | by John Metais | Cosmos Ecosystem Blog”

Summary: This blog post explores the technical foundations and transformative potential of Althea L1 and Liquid Infrastructure. It highlights how tokenizing real-world infrastructure assets can unlock trillions of dollars in untapped value and create new opportunities for funding and operating networks.

2.1 Althea L1: A Purpose-Built Blockchain for the Machine Economy

Althea L1 is a hybrid EVM blockchain built using the Cosmos SDK, providing high transaction throughput and instant finality.
The chain’s design prioritizes microtransactions, crucial for enabling efficient machine-to-machine payments and automated revenue sharing.

2.2 Liquid Infrastructure: Tokenizing Assets and Revolutionizing Ownership

Liquid Infrastructure allows for the fractional ownership of real-world infrastructure assets like fiber cables and cell towers.
This enables more flexible and efficient funding models, allowing communities and individuals to invest in their local infrastructure.
Token holders receive automatic revenue share, providing direct benefits from network usage.

2.3 The DePIN DEX: A Marketplace for Decentralized Infrastructure Assets

The Althea L1 features a built-in decentralized exchange specifically designed for trading DePIN tokens.
This marketplace facilitates the exchange of ownership and participation in various infrastructure projects, fostering collaboration and innovation.

3. Introducing Althea L1: The Evolution of a Vision

Source: Excerpts from “Introducing Althea L1. This year, Althea is evolving towards… | by Deborah Simpier | Althea | Medium”

Summary: This blog post marks the announcement of Althea L1 and outlines the platform’s overarching vision for a decentralized, multi-entity ecosystem for infrastructure. It traces Althea’s journey from its early beginnings in a small Oregon town to its current position as a leading DePIN project.

3.1 The Althea Vision: A Future of Seamless and Accessible Connectivity

Althea envisions a world where infrastructure ownership is democratized, removing barriers to entry and fostering community participation.
The platform aims to streamline network building and connectivity, enabling frictionless transactions and fostering open markets.
Prepaid and accessible billing models will extend connectivity to underserved areas, promoting digital inclusion.

3.2 Althea’s Journey: From Community Networks to a Global Platform

Althea’s initial deployments focused on solving connectivity challenges in underserved communities through innovative mesh routing and billing systems.
The platform’s success in connecting rural areas demonstrated the viability of its decentralized approach and laid the groundwork for a global expansion.
The launch of Althea L1 marks a significant milestone, enabling the platform to scale its impact and empower a wider range of infrastructure projects.

4. Liquid Infrastructure: Deep Dive into the Technical Implementation

Source: Excerpts from “Liquid Infrastructure | Althea Documentation”

Summary: This documentation provides a detailed explanation of Liquid Infrastructure, covering its technical implementation, features, and benefits. It explains how the system utilizes NFTs and smart contracts to represent and fractionalize real-world assets, enabling automatic revenue sharing and decentralized governance.

4.1 Key Components and Functionality

The system utilizes ERC721 tokens (NFTs) to represent liquid assets, ERC20 tokens for fractional ownership, and a dedicated smart contract for managing revenue distribution.
The Liquid Infrastructure Smart Contract (LISC) facilitates the fractionalization and automated revenue sharing process, ensuring transparency and security.

4.2 Staking, Claiming, and Transfers

Revenue tokens (RTs) must be staked in the LISC to receive a share of the asset’s revenue.
Staked tokens accrue revenue automatically, which can be claimed at any time by the token holder.
The platform supports the transfer of RTs between whitelisted wallets, enabling secondary market trading and community participation.

4.3 Decentralization and Administration

While the initial Liquid Infrastructure platform is partially custodial, the underlying technology is designed for decentralization.
Third parties can deploy their own instances of the LISC with custom rules and features.
The LISC is non-upgradable, ensuring the integrity and security of the revenue distribution process.

5. The Tech Right’s Vision for America: Decentralization and Deregulation

Source: Excerpts from “How the tech right wants to run America – POLITICO”

Summary: This article explores the tech right’s vision for America, highlighting their emphasis on deregulation, free markets, and the empowerment of entrepreneurs and individuals. It examines the potential implications of this agenda for various sectors, including infrastructure and technology.

5.1 Deregulation as a Catalyst for Innovation and Growth

The tech right advocates for reducing regulatory barriers to foster innovation and economic growth, particularly for startups and emerging technologies.
They believe that excessive regulation stifles creativity and hinders the development of novel solutions to societal challenges.

5.2 Decentralization and Community Ownership: A Path to More Accessible Infrastructure

The tech right’s focus on decentralization aligns with the concept of community-owned networks, empowering local communities to control their infrastructure.
This approach could lead to more affordable and accessible internet services, particularly in underserved areas.

6. Exploring the Potential for Decentralized Infrastructure in Washington State

Source: Excerpts from “Pasted Text”

Summary: This excerpt highlights the success of publicly owned open-access networks in Washington state, demonstrating the benefits of community ownership and competition. It showcases how these networks have led to increased affordability, improved service quality, and enhanced economic development.

6.1 Benefits of Open-Access Publicly Owned Networks

Publicly owned networks in Washington state have demonstrated their ability to provide gigabit speeds at affordable prices, surpassing the service offerings of traditional ISPs in some areas.
These networks foster competition by allowing multiple ISPs to operate on the same infrastructure, giving consumers greater choice and driving down prices.

6.2 Community Ownership as a Model for Sustainable and Equitable Infrastructure

Community ownership ensures that networks are responsive to local needs and prioritize the interests of the community over profit maximization.
This model can lead to more equitable access to essential services, bridging the digital divide and fostering economic development.

7. Decentralized Infrastructure Under a Trump Presidency: Opportunities and Challenges

Source: Excerpts from “Pasted Text”

Summary: This excerpt explores the potential impact of a Trump presidency on decentralized infrastructure models, considering both opportunities and challenges. It analyzes how Trump’s policies could create a more favorable environment for community-owned networks while acknowledging the potential for increased competition from established ISPs.

7.1 Deregulation and Infrastructure Investment: Potential Benefits for Community Networks

Trump’s emphasis on deregulation could reduce barriers to entry for community-owned networks, allowing them to compete more effectively with incumbent providers.
Proposed infrastructure investment plans could provide funding opportunities for community-led projects, fostering the development of decentralized models.

7.2 The Need for Vigilance: Potential Challenges and the Role of Communities

Deregulation could also benefit incumbent ISPs, potentially hindering the growth of community-owned networks.
Communities and advocates must remain vigilant and actively engage in policy discussions to ensure that decentralized infrastructure models receive adequate support and protection.

8. Bob Frankston’s Vision for Open Connectivity: Rethinking the Internet’s Architecture

Source: Excerpts from “Pasted Text”

Summary: This excerpt presents Bob Frankston’s vision for a more open and decentralized internet infrastructure, emphasizing the need for separation between applications and infrastructure, community ownership, and a shift to a free-to-use model.

8.1 Separating Applications from Infrastructure: Fostering Innovation and Flexibility

Frankston argues for a clear separation between internet applications and the underlying infrastructure, allowing for greater innovation and flexibility in both domains.
This approach would enable the development of new applications and services without being constrained by the limitations of existing infrastructure.

8.2 Community Ownership and Free Access: Empowering Users and Unleashing Creativity

Frankston advocates for community ownership of internet infrastructure, particularly when public funds are involved, ensuring that networks serve the needs of the community.
He proposes a shift towards a free-to-use model, removing cost barriers to innovation and enabling the rapid development of new ideas.

8.3 Challenging Traditional Models: The Path to a More Open and Equitable Internet

Frankston’s vision requires a significant shift from traditional telecom business models and regulations, potentially facing resistance from established players.
However, his ideas offer a compelling roadmap for creating a more open, equitable, and innovative internet that empowers users and fosters creativity.

Study Guide

Althea: Decentralized Infrastructure and the Future of Connectivity

Study Guide

Key Concepts

Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN): DePIN refers to infrastructure projects that utilize blockchain technology to decentralize ownership and management of physical assets. This model allows for community ownership and participation, fostering greater accessibility, transparency, and innovation.
Liquid Infrastructure: This innovative approach involves tokenizing real-world infrastructure assets like cell towers and fiber optic cables. These tokens can then be fractionalized and traded, creating a more liquid and dynamic market for infrastructure investment.
Open Access Networks: Althea promotes open access networks where multiple service providers can operate on the same infrastructure. This fosters competition, potentially leading to lower costs and improved service quality for consumers.
Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Payments: Althea employs blockchain technology to enable microtransactions between devices, automating billing and revenue sharing within the network. This creates a more efficient and transparent system for managing resources and payments.
Price-Aware Routing: Users can prioritize cost or latency when selecting their internet connection through Althea’s platform. This dynamic routing system optimizes the network based on individual preferences, enhancing user control and flexibility.

Short Answer Questions

1. What are the key features of Althea Network that differentiate it from traditional telecom providers?

2. Explain how the concept of “Liquid Infrastructure” works and its potential benefits.

3. Why did Althea choose to build its own L1 blockchain instead of continuing to use existing blockchains like Gnosis chain?

4. How does Althea’s price-aware routing system benefit end users?

5. What role does the Gravity Bridge play in Althea’s ecosystem?

6. Describe how Althea incentivizes infrastructure owners to participate in its network.

7. What is the significance of Althea’s use of native Ethereum signing for its L1 blockchain?

8. How does Althea’s DePIN DEX contribute to the growth of the decentralized infrastructure ecosystem?

9. Discuss the potential challenges and opportunities presented by the concept of open-access networks in the telecom industry.

10. What is the role of Keystone Liquidity in Althea’s Liquid Infrastructure model?

Short Answer Key

1. Althea Network distinguishes itself through its decentralized structure, open-access network, price-aware routing, and machine-to-machine payments, fostering community ownership, competition, user choice, and efficient resource management.

2. Liquid Infrastructure tokenizes physical assets like fiber optic cables, enabling fractional ownership and trading. This unlocks capital for infrastructure development, democratizes access to investment opportunities, and promotes efficient revenue sharing.

3. Althea opted for its own L1 blockchain to gain greater control over network parameters, optimize for microtransactions crucial to M2M payments, and provide a tailored platform for DePIN projects, ultimately enhancing scalability and functionality.

4. Althea’s price-aware routing allows users to prioritize cost or latency based on their individual needs. This provides greater flexibility and control over their internet experience, catering to diverse usage patterns like gaming or casual browsing.

5. The Gravity Bridge facilitates interoperability between Althea L1 and Ethereum, enabling the seamless transfer of assets and data between the two ecosystems. This expands the reach and functionality of Althea’s platform.

6. Althea incentivizes infrastructure owners by allowing them to earn revenue through microtransactions for bandwidth provided to the network. This creates a direct and transparent system where owners benefit from network usage.

7. Native Ethereum signing allows users to interact with Althea L1 using familiar Ethereum wallets like MetaMask. This simplifies user onboarding, lowers the barrier to entry, and enhances the overall user experience.

8. The DePIN DEX serves as a dedicated marketplace for trading tokens representing various DePIN projects. This fosters liquidity, facilitates investment, and promotes collaboration within the decentralized infrastructure ecosystem.

9. Open access networks promote competition and innovation, potentially leading to better services and lower prices. Challenges include coordinating multiple providers, ensuring fair access, and navigating regulatory hurdles.

10. Keystone Liquidity is a portal developed by Hawk Networks, enabling users to manage, fund, and coordinate utility and telecom networks using Althea’s Liquid Infrastructure model. It serves as a key interface for accessing and interacting with tokenized infrastructure assets.

Essay Questions

Analyze the potential impact of Althea’s technology on bridging the digital divide in underserved communities.
Critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of decentralized infrastructure models compared to traditional centralized approaches.
Discuss the potential regulatory challenges and opportunities that DePIN projects like Althea may face as they scale and gain wider adoption.
Examine the role of community ownership and governance in the success and sustainability of open access networks powered by Althea’s technology.
Explore the future possibilities of machine-to-machine economies enabled by Althea’s blockchain-based payment system.

Glossary of Key Terms

Althea L1: The purpose-built blockchain powering the Althea Network, designed for microtransactions and optimized for infrastructure and connectivity projects.
Babeld: Althea’s price-aware mesh routing protocol that dynamically routes internet traffic based on user preferences for cost or latency.
Cosmos SDK: The software development kit used to build Althea L1, providing a robust and flexible framework for blockchain development within the Cosmos ecosystem.
DePIN DEX: A decentralized exchange built on Althea L1, specifically designed for trading tokens representing various DePIN projects.
ERC20: A standard for creating fungible tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, used by Althea to represent fractional ownership of Liquid Infrastructure assets.
ERC721: A standard for creating non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the Ethereum blockchain, used by Althea to represent unique Liquid Infrastructure assets.
Gravity Bridge: A decentralized bridge connecting the Ethereum and Cosmos ecosystems, enabling interoperability and asset transfer between Althea L1 and Ethereum.
Keystone Liquidity: A platform developed by Hawk Networks to manage, fund, and coordinate utility and telecom networks using Althea’s Liquid Infrastructure model.
klte: Althea’s 4G/5G compliant core network, designed to be lightweight and adaptable, enabling the deployment of private cellular networks.
Liquid Infrastructure Smart Contract (LISC): The smart contract that governs the fractionalization and revenue distribution of tokenized infrastructure assets within Althea’s ecosystem.
Rita: Althea’s billing stack that manages microtransactions and automates revenue sharing between network participants.