Link to the show:
1. Network roll-out & new regions
- Pakistan AirNode expansion jumped from ~2 000 to ~8 000 nodes/month.
- Philippines and parts of Africa are next for AirNode expansion.
- Aerostat updates: latest news from Mozambique (4 days ago) is under embargo; a U.S. aerostat remains aloft.
2. Dashboard & “super API”
- One central dashboard—powered by a “super API”—will surface every metric (buybacks, social mentions, node stats, deployments, HD1 rollouts, etc.).
- Fully filterable/drill-down views so you can slice by region, metric type, timeframe, even social sentiment.
3. Chain architecture (L2 vs L3)
- Initial mainnet will launch as an L2 roll-up to Ethereum. Users won’t notice any difference compared to an L3—accounts, UX and security all behave the same.
- Base layer today is Ethereum (rollups post through OP Stack); in future, once volumes hit hundreds of millions of users, they may redirect rollups into Base (or another lower-cost L2) for cheaper fees.
- Cost impact is minimal at launch thanks to Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade, which slashes costs.
- Why not L3 yet? The OP Stack L3 patches exist but need weeks/months of integration and testing. To avoid that delay, they’ll start on L2 now and revisit L3 once mainnet is stable.
4. MVNE (Mobile Virtual Network Enabler) for crypto projects
- Six–seven large companies (some top-50, a couple top-20 tokens) are lined up to launch on World Mobile Chain, even minting their own branded tokens.
- After core systems prove out, the “floodgates” open: any Web3 project can spin up SIM-powered utilities (branded data bundles, community-token rewards, etc.).
5. Token fundamentals & utility
“A lot of people right now complain about the token not moving. The token doesn’t need to move right now. What needs to happen is that the fundamentals continue to get stronger and stronger, and like a good tree or plant, it always rises to the surface. So if the foundations are right, and WM is ensuring the network infrastructure can serve these different purposes, we will shoot to the top of the sky—it’s only a matter of time.”
Mr. Telecom
- WMTx/WMC is already under the hood in every subscription (each call/text/data session consumes and stakes tokens).
- Future phases will make the token more overt—buy-backs, merch purchases, in-app staking rewards, affiliate incentives.
6. Partnerships & real-world use cases
- A pro athlete in the U.S. has reached out to deploy AirNodes in underprivileged areas, mapping pilot sites now.
- In Africa there’s a new launch partner enabling rollout wherever WM holds licenses (currently six countries).
- Wi-Fi offload capability exists but isn’t identified as a major revenue driver—commercial scale still small.
7. Growth targets & community model
- Pakistan affiliate scheme hit 800 home sign-ups in one day.
- They’re still aiming for 100 million daily actives by end-2025 (or early 2026 if it slips).
- Every subscriber doubles as a potential user for any dApp built on WMC: “once on our SIM, you’re a potential customer for every blockchain project we partner with.”
8. Upcoming events & big announcements
- RareEvo Dubai this summer: major reveal teased, plus workshops, open-mic jams, community dinners.
- Token2049 trip in Dubai is booked solid—meetings from dawn to after-hours, plus a jam session featuring Micky’s guitar.
- Denver carriers conference: Charles got strong buy-in from U.S. operators on policy, roaming and FWA partnerships.