Crypto-mining IoT network to fund internet access in San José

The City of San José has entered into a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership to tackle two key challenges simultaneously: closing the digital divide for low-income families and expanding smart city infrastructure.

The Household Internet Access Initiative (HIAI), in partnership with Helium and the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), is based on residents hosting hotspot nodes on a decentralised Internet of Things (IoT) network. These mine cryptocurrency that will be used to subsidise internet costs.

The programme aims to cover the expenses of low-cost internet plans for over 1,300 low-income households in San José for a year through a one-time US$120 payment.

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