Hawk Networks and C14 partnered to empower access to high-speed, affordable internet services through the Althea platform. They have announced the expansion of their service following a test pilot in an Althea powered network in California.
Hawk Networks, the team behind Althea, has been expanding the reach of its blockchain powered routing and billing solution. In an Althea network, users can select their choice of cost and speed (latency) and use flexible pre-paid billing instead of a legacy, rental based model.
Althea’s decentralised system allows users to provision internet service with speed, reliability, and privacy, while also empowering new entities to build these flexible networks in rural and dense urban environments. C14’s payment rails allow Althea users to easily top-up their balances and access the Althea Network in select states. Following a pilot programme in California, Hawk Networks and C14 will expand access to new jurisdictions throughout the United States.
Althea was founded in 2018 with a mission to remove friction from telecom processes resulting in democratised access to high quality internet service at affordable prices. Althea’s smart routers and LTE core, KeyLTE, are programmed to automatically find the fast and cheap bandwidth connection available. Althea’s Relay Nodes are hosted locally, keeping funds in and supporting the local community.
“Althea is a paradigm shift in broadband access, empowering new entities to build networks and smart connectivity in unique ways. Partnering with C14 makes the process to participate and use the network simple,” says Deborah Simpier, CEO and co-founder of Althea.
C14 was founded in 2022 by CEO Erich Grant with the goal of making blockchain related crypto payments as easy and seamless as traditional web2 ecommerce. The company has expanded covered jurisdictions and payment methods in the past year. C14 now operates both domestically and internationally, including credit and debit card payments as well as local bank transfers in Brazil and Mexico.
“Partnering with Althea was a natural fit for C14. Our mandate is to improve access to digital assets for users worldwide, and the success of our partnership with Althea is a testament to the power of this idea,” says Grant.
Compliance around blockchain payments is a key concern for C14, and its partnership with Althea allows users to easily access the Althea Network while remaining compliant with its obligations as a money service business.
“Compliance is the number one concern at C14, and we are delighted to have built a flow that is both safe and easy for consumers to access the Althea Network,” says Grant.
Althea Networks have been expanding across the United States, serving new markets in multiple states. Hawk Networks and C14 will work together to allow users in over a half dozen new states to utilise C14’s payment flow to top up their Althea routers.
C14 currently provides ramping services to a blend of established blockchains, as well as newer emerging technologies. As Althea Network moves toward the launch of its own L1 chain in the coming quarters, C14 is proud to commit to servicing the new chain upon launch, while still servicing customers who are accessing Althea through existing blockchains.
“With Althea’s Layer 1, builders and innovators can create new smart contracts and applications on a blockchain purpose built for telecom and infrastructure, with the high uptime, access to multi-chain bridging, and reliability that real-world integration requires,” says Simpier.
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