[ANN] bHotspot: A decentralized WiFi Hotspot System [BHT]

[FabienB4]

bHotspot is a blockchain-driven (decentralized) WiFi hotspot system allowing users around the world to connect to nearby WiFi networks without involving a third party and at a much better cost than current WiFi hotspot or mobile data solutions.

What if you could get paid to share your Internet connection at your house or work place when you want to?

What if you could connect to WiFi anywhere in the world at a better price than your current mobile data roaming plan, and get a better connection?

What if you could connect automatically to nearby WiFi networks as you move around and keep control of how much you are paying?


Excerpt from the whitepaper:

A blockchain-driven (decentralized) WiFi hotspot system would allow users around the world to connect to nearby WiFi networks without involving a third party and at a much better cost than current WiFi hotspot or mobile data solutions. The blockchain technology provides most of the solution in a simple and elegant way. With the use of smart contracts at the connection level, we provide a solution that is trustless, rewards owners running the Service with a configurable usage fee and open the world to new possibilities with millions of WiFi routers out there connected to the Internet.

The Internet has become a standard in the everyday life of millions of people, the underlying infrastructure is based on millions of routers currently in place around the world, most of them already WiFi enabled. These routers are in service 24/7 and allow users to connect to the Internet in a wired or wireless manner.
Despite these routers being constantly available worldwide and providing Internet services, many users rely on expensive, unreliable mobile data to connect to the Internet because no or poorly implemented solutions are in place to use these routers instead.
What is needed is a way for users to use the connection these routers offer, in a seamless, low cost way, while compensating the Owners of the routers for offering it. Routers controlling the use of the service through transactions and smart contracts as part of a global blockchain allow the system to run in a trustless and secure environment where only minor external involvement is necessary.

Check it out: https://bhotspot.net

Whitepaper: https://bhotspot.net/assets/whitepaper.pdf
Github repository: https://github.com/bhotspot/bhotspot-contracts

Find us on steemit: https://steemit.com/ethereum/@fabienb4/bhotspot-a-decentralized-wifi-hotspot-system-bht
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhotspotnet


Crowdsale

Start

Block #4104168
2017-07-30 ~ 9AM UTC

End

Block #4187815
2017-08-15 ~ 8PM UTC

Creation Goal

15,000,000 BHT
Cap: 40,000,000 BHT

Ether Goal

29,000 ETH
Cap: 79,000 ETH
 
Crowdsale address: 0x396d62edb4eb725ec867023d8bdfc9e64d30a82d

More about the crowdsale: https://bhotspot.net/#crowdsale

[elegant_joylin]

Where's the team?

[scolary23]

What kind of preparation is this?
You suddenly start ICO without making a clear preparation, it's very clear, the results will surely fail

[powerfull]

"without involving a third party"   ? withour third party , you can not link to free wifi , or you are the third party ,  we have so many tool like this ,searching it ,,,,,

[AmoreJaz]

now this is a very ambitious project!but the idea of paying for free hotspots just dosent sound like a very well thought out idea?

[FabienB4]

In the spirit of full disclosure...
The post might not be pretty like some other crowdsales (images and all that), and even though it's partly because this is a new account, it's mainly because I'm a developer, with a clear picture of what is achievable and what is not with this project.
I'm not trying to sell, I'm trying to innovate and radically change the way people connect to the Internet in the process.
The budget, as you might have seen, is lower than most crowdsales out there, simply because based on calculations and financial advice, this is where the estimated cost comes at.
If I could do it for free, I would, but even rice and beans, beans on toast or any other delicacy of your choice comes at a price.
Hopefully the incentive of being paid will motivate a couple of bright minds to join the project.

Where's the team?

I'm a one man team until I find the appropriate help (dev & sales). As you can see in the roadmap on the website, I hope the crowdsale and putting the idea out there will spark interest in a couple of like minded people to take on the ambitious task of bringing it to life.
Like many developer, I'm not a sales person, and a sales person is really needed when talking to other sales person!
As for the second developer, for a project like this to have someone playing devil's advocate on every decision, as well as brainstorming is a major plus. Even though the project and the design are already well defined (and some of it already in testing), some design implementations will benefit greatly from a second look.

"without involving a third party"   ? withour third party , you can not link to free wifi , or you are the third party ,  we have so many tool like this ,searching it ,,,,,

In the context quoted, "without a third party" means no hotspot gateway centrally controlled by a third party (like airport WiFi for example), as the blockchain will handle all these functions, the router will mostly act as a dumb "yes/no" machine in the process.
See below about the "free" part (which I never said).
I don't believe any tool exists that does what this project aims to do, but if you have a link, please share, maybe we can combine forces.

now this is a very ambitious project!but the idea of paying for free hotspots just dosent sound like a very well thought out idea?

As long as a project is viable, anything less than ambitious is a waste. 
Hotspot doesn't necessarily means free. Free hotspot usually means poor quality though. This project aims to correct that.
As described in the whitepaper, the price is set by the owner, which means they can provide it for free if they want.
What this project is aiming at is supplying the owner with an incentive to provide a good quality hotspots by way of a low usage fee for the users.
This is the same principle used by the blockchain with the miners, but applied to the router owners, they provide an Internet connection in exchange for a fee, just like the miners provide computer power for a fee.
An good incentive goes a long way towards improving the quality of service.
The goal is nothing short of making roaming as easy and as cheap as possible through WiFi instead of mobile data. With millions of routers out there, it is even possible to provide Internet connection to roamers in places where mobile data is unavailable, whereas in big cities, it will be a very competitive environment which should drive the connection quality and usage fee to new limits.

[heal]

reserved

[FabienB4]

Crowdsale address added:

0x396d62edb4eb725ec867023d8bdfc9e64d30a82d

Stay tuned for early stage pictures of the bHotspot App.

[Porfirii]

Reserved.

[tippytoes]

Similar idea - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1869213.0. But it seems that, such idea is already dead. No progress til now. So I don't know if this one will gonna be successful.  And one-man team? This will be difficult for him. Anyway, best of luck!

[FabienB4]

Thanks tippytoes.

It won't be easy for sure, but easy is boring 

As mentioned on the website, the team will be expanding after the ICO.
Hiring will not be rushed, the right mindsets for the project will make the difference, not hiring the first at the door.

I believe the potential of the project is huge once its scale reaches a high enough point, whether it is globally or locally.
We all know how expensive data roaming can be, and the changes that a global WiFi network with competitive rates could bring would be highly beneficial.
Leveraging the Ethereum platform makes it a lot simpler for users, a lot of them are already familiar with it, and likely, more will in the near future.
Leveraging the existing routers infrastructure makes it a lot cheaper for users, a lot of them already have one.
There is practically no initial cost to setup the Service and provide it to everyone around you. You can then use the tokens to use somebody else's Service.

There is a still lot to be done, but as long as everything goes as planned with the ICO, the roadmap should stay on track.


If anyone is interested in a sales/marketing or system engineer/developer position with the project please send an email to contact@bhotspot.net with as much details as you think is needed.

[DaMut]

Thanks tippytoes.

It won't be easy for sure, but easy is boring 

As mentioned on the website, the team will be expanding after the ICO.
Hiring will not be rushed, the right mindsets for the project will make the difference, not hiring the first at the door.

I believe the potential of the project is huge once its scale reaches a high enough point, whether it is globally or locally.
We all know how expensive data roaming can be, and the changes that a global WiFi network with competitive rates could bring would be highly beneficial.
Leveraging the Ethereum platform makes it a lot simpler for users, a lot of them are already familiar with it, and likely, more will in the near future.
Leveraging the existing routers infrastructure makes it a lot cheaper for users, a lot of them already have one.
There is practically no initial cost to setup the Service and provide it to everyone around you. You can then use the tokens to use somebody else's Service.

There is a still lot to be done, but as long as everything goes as planned with the ICO, the roadmap should stay on track.


If anyone is interested in a sales/marketing or system engineer/developer position with the project please send an email to contact@bhotspot.net with as much details as you think is needed.

You must be joking right ?
Team member expanding after icos end ?
Are you sure it's a project ? Lack of preparation,one man developer in the beginning (which is how can you develop this project if you're alone in the begining even after the ico what will happen ? You need a partner to create a project to help you handling a problem,if ypu're looking for new team after project runing,you need to spens more time to teach and consulting about your idea to him)

[bluedude]

Another ICO by a newbie member without any product.
Make an MVP and come back before taking people's money.

[Chance567]

This sounds like a rather interesting concept, and honestly it doesn't seem as infeasible as everyone is making it out to be. It would probably work like this:

Custom firmware for router re-targets the splash page for "guest" access to instead request a payment in BHT, which is confirmed on the blockchain before access is granted.

Wow... That was easier than I thought.

Now for the scope creep though.... Custom firmware for all the different router manufacturers, creating an easy way for hotspot owners to edit the charge amount, tapping into the router stats to broadcast Up/Down speed and ping as a measure of quality... Yeah, it's gonna get crazy and you're gonna need a bigger team.

Personally, I think this is a fantastic idea. I'll be watching this to see how it goes.

[FabienB4]

Thanks @Chance567. You've got the right idea, except pushing it one step further by removing the usual splash/redirection and simply authenticating the user via the App and handling the transactions from there, making it much easier and smoother for the user, and allowing for automatic connection based on user's pre-defined preferences (eventually built into the WiFi Manager of the supporting platforms once adoption is high enough to create the need for it). The UX testings with people from different backgrounds clearly show the benefits. 802.11u makes this much easier to implement. And you're definitely right, to keep the roadmap on track, a bigger team will be needed, especially on the sales/marketing side, since the goal is to get built-in support from manufacturers, after initial support via custom firmwares for broader reach.

@DaMut About the partner thing, I've seen enough "partnerships" blow up and kill a service/product to have a very different opinion than yours on the subject.
I'm not saying they are bad 100% of the time, simply that I won't take the chance. I'd rather have a well defined product that can be clearly explained to the members of the team (if a project is well defined, it doesn't take long for someone to get up to speed, I've been in that position enough times in the past). Despite all the interest someone can have, I don't expect them to want to work full time on a project for free, hence the ICO.
If you think the idea is infeasible/non-beneficial, I would be happy to talk with you about it, I always enjoy a productive debate.
I've debated the merits/faults/technical details with quite a few people already, myself included!


PS: Yes this is a newbie account. I haven't bought an old account to get a fake reputation... Nor do I want to...

[Chance567]

The proposition of an application actually makes this seem easier to accomplish. All the application really needs to do is turn on the hotspot, grab the syn packet, and send an ack packet to the connecting device once the payment is confirmed. That would be really low overhead in regards to battery drain on the phone and the app wouldn't require much in the way of coding. Coding for various OS's would be a bit time-consuming, but not nearly so much a coding custom firmware for thousands of routers.

So, to break it down into layman's terms starting from discovery:

Download the application (wallet integration perhaps to make this exceedingly simple for new users?).
Launch application and allow user to choose between connecting to a hotspot or hosting one (search features such as preferences for speed, ping, price, etc. for priority searches, likely later in lifecycle post-launch).
If hosting, specify price, connection time, allowable connections at once, etc. Profit.
If looking for hotspots, choose hotspots visible in-app (bluetooth tethering for phones? Proximity map updating frequently to show nearby hotspots? Stretch goals!!!) and unlock wallet, send payment, wait for confirmation, do web stuff.

Look about right?

[FabienB4]

The application is both the wallet and the connection handler (a WiFi Manager on steroid). It also contains an interface to the router so users can configure the Service directly from the app without having to log in to their router via their browser.
The goal is to make it as seamless as possible for users. As such, it will stay as close as possible to the built-in WiFi Manager, while providing all the information users need to know in one location.

The Service is currently being implemented on the LEDE platform for the beta release. A standard API will allow manufacturers to build support into their devices with minimal effort.

Support for smartphone hotspot might come down the road but is not part of the initial release, the fact that a smartphone is not at a fixed location makes it less valuable for users (out of range issues, can't rely on it being at the same location tomorrow, etc...).

[Belligerent Fool]

This is one of the most ridiculous ideas I have ever heard of, especially with hosting an ICO for it.

In my country Shopping Centers give you free HotSpot Wi-fi, Telephone Boxes, even the local parks, so what makes paying for your service much better than what we already have when you want to grab the attention of investors, develop something that already exists which is free to the public & then charge for it ?

Go back to the drawing board

[FabienB4]

This is one of the most ridiculous ideas I have ever heard of, especially with hosting an ICO for it.

In my country Shopping Centers give you free HotSpot Wi-fi, Telephone Boxes, even the local parks, so what makes paying for your service much better than what we already have when you want to grab the attention of investors, develop something that already exists which is free to the public & then charge for it ?

Go back to the drawing board

Playing devil's advocate here:
Why use cryptocurrencies if a bank can offer the same kind of service, is already well established and you already have an account with them anyway?
Because it's decentralized, because it provides with a higher degree of control, etc, etc...

Why this project?
To provide a peer to peer system, removing the need for a central gateway/point of control that is even out of the provider's control most of the time (3rd party managing the hotspot -with another 3rd party managing the payments when not free-).
Transactions directly between users and providers, no % taken by managing company, payment providers...
If you have a connection at your home, or work place, and are not using it 100% (whether it's time or capacity), wouldn't you like getting rewarded for sharing it when you want to, at virtually no cost for you, except the time spent configuring it?

While some places offer hotspots at no cost (well, really, they hope to drive customers in the door), most locations are not covered, most are not of good quality; some places even have poor quality and paid...
Now, if you have a city with a couple million of hotspots, all providing the service, it drives the providers to increase quality, so they can increase price, and as a result users enjoy higher quality of service, better coverage, and can choose to pay more to get more if they wish to do so (by picking higher cost/higher bandwidth hotspots).

Another scenario is third world countries, where broadband service is often expensive.
Now, what if someone in the neighborhood gets it, and provide the service to their neighbors? Instead of "hoping" their neighbors will pay them at the end of the month with what has been verbally agreed to, they are guaranteed to be paid on usage.
And can even get an extra bonus here and there if a tourist passing by wants to check his email without paying crazy mobile data roaming fees.

What about the hospitality industry? Expected bandwidth by guests is increasingly higher, amounting to very high cost for owners.
But what if tomorrow, they could offer a 50Mbps (or higher) service in each room for a nominal fee for the guests?
You can still connect to the 5Mbps for free, but having the higher bandwidth option for those who wants it is an option they couldn't afford to have before.

[Belligerent Fool]

This is one of the most ridiculous ideas I have ever heard of, especially with hosting an ICO for it.

In my country Shopping Centers give you free HotSpot Wi-fi, Telephone Boxes, even the local parks, so what makes paying for your service much better than what we already have when you want to grab the attention of investors, develop something that already exists which is free to the public & then charge for it ?

Go back to the drawing board

Playing devil's advocate here:
Why use cryptocurrencies if a bank can offer the same kind of service, is already well established and you already have an account with them anyway?
Because it's decentralized, because it provides with a higher degree of control, etc, etc...

Why this project?
To provide a peer to peer system, removing the need for a central gateway/point of control that is even out of the provider's control most of the time (3rd party managing the hotspot -with another 3rd party managing the payments when not free-).
Transactions directly between users and providers, no % taken by managing company, payment providers...
If you have a connection at your home, or work place, and are not using it 100% (whether it's time or capacity), wouldn't you like getting rewarded for sharing it when you want to, at virtually no cost for you, except the time spent configuring it?

While some places offer hotspots at no cost (well, really, they hope to drive customers in the door), most locations are not covered, most are not of good quality; some places even have poor quality and paid...
Now, if you have a city with a couple million of hotspots, all providing the service, it drives the providers to increase quality, so they can increase price, and as a result users enjoy higher quality of service, better coverage, and can choose to pay more to get more if they wish to do so (by picking higher cost/higher bandwidth hotspots).

Another scenario is third world countries, where broadband service is often expensive.
Now, what if someone in the neighborhood gets it, and provide the service to their neighbors? Instead of "hoping" their neighbors will pay them at the end of the month with what has been verbally agreed to, they are guaranteed to be paid on usage.
And can even get an extra bonus here and there if a tourist passing by wants to check his email without paying crazy mobile data roaming fees.

What about the hospitality industry? Expected bandwidth by guests is increasingly higher, amounting to very high cost for owners.
But what if tomorrow, they could offer a 50Mbps (or higher) service in each room for a nominal fee for the guests?
You can still connect to the 5Mbps for free, but having the higher bandwidth option for those who wants it is an option they couldn't afford to have before.

Oh man how wrong are you... The government in my country (Yes, my Country) spends money for these free services and maintains them, it is a bit like Public Libraries.... a service being provided for free so you can read.

Also on the note of speed, it doesn't really matter as we aren't living in the Dial-up days anymore so essentially whatever connection speed they are providing is good enough for hundreds if not thousands of people to be using it at the same time.

Point I am trying to make is, why bring a crypto into this & charge an ICO for the coins when the technology has been out for years, is now free and has been implemented in most countries that aren't 3rd World ?

Seems like a quick, got to pick a pocket or two scheme.