Who is AirNode Alliance
AirNode Alliance is a community-led project making telecom infrastructure ownership accessible to anyone. Founded by Cole Bartlett, it’s building a cross-chain dApp that fractionalizes AirNodes, giving individuals and communities the chance to co-own devices that deliver real mobile and Wi-Fi coverage.
The Alliance operates under ELOC Mobile, a Wyoming-registered company, and works with Konma Labz on smart contract development. Cole is a long-time World Mobile community member, a Network Founder, and operator of AirNodes already deployed in Pakistan.
Their mission: lower barriers to telecom participation, open shared revenue streams, and empower communities to take part in the global connectivity economy.
What does “fractional AirNode ownership” mean?
Think of an AirNode like a community Wi-Fi tower. Instead of one company owning it outright, the AirNode Alliance splits it into digital shares (NFTs).
That means:
- You don’t need to buy the whole device, you can own a fraction.
- Each share represents part of the AirNode’s value and rewards.
- Revenue is distributed automatically through smart contracts.
In short: it’s crowdfunded telecom infrastructure where anyone can co-own a piece of the network.
What they do
The AirNode Alliance addresses two major challenges:
- Ownership and accessibility – Telecom infrastructure has traditionally been centralized and prohibitively expensive. The Alliance fractionalizes AirNodes into NFTs, making it possible for anyone to become a stakeholder in connectivity.
- Economic inclusion – Beyond access, communities can share in the revenue generated by the infrastructure they help deploy, creating a cycle of connectivity and opportunity.
They’ve launched a public testnet on World Mobile Chain (WMC), where users can connect a wallet, fractionalize AirNodes, and experiment with governance and rewards.
Planned next steps include:
- Refining UI/UX for Cardano and WMC apps
- Expanding governance and DAO tools
- Adding DeFi integrations and secondary NFT markets
- Enabling localized co-ownership campaigns for HD1 hex communities
How they work with World Mobile Chain
World Mobile Chain is a Layer 3 blockchain purpose-built for telecom. It provides security, high throughput and low fees.
Building on WMC allows the AirNode Alliance to:
- Run fractional ownership models
- Power dashboards with real-time AirNode usage data
- Automate revenue distribution through smart contracts
- Align community incentives with network growth
This domain-specific infrastructure makes WMC the natural home for fractionalized telecom assets.
Impact on WMC and decentralized infrastructure
The AirNode Alliance extends the promise of DePIN by enabling co-ownership of the last mile of telecom. Instead of infrastructure being controlled solely by corporations, individuals and communities can co-own and earn from AirNodes.
For World Mobile, the Alliance:
- Expands participation in infrastructure ownership
- Introduces new NFT-driven use cases on WMC
- Strengthens the link between connectivity, revenue, and governance
For the wider ecosystem, it demonstrates how fractionalized real-world assets (RWAs) can scale people-powered networks globally.
“Fractionalizing AirNodes lowers the entry point, empowering communities and accelerating adoption of people-powered networks. This isn’t just another project, it’s a movement to connect digital innovation with real-world infrastructure.” – Kaloyan Rakov, Strategic Advisor, AirNode Alliance