by Cedric “BIG CED” Thornton
October 30, 2025
“Uplift is about taking the power back from Big Wireless and putting it in the hands of the people.”
NBA veteran Tristan Thompson, who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, has teamed up with World Mobile to launch Uplift, a community-owned wireless service that allows users to own a portion of their network.
Thompson, the company's chief digital equity officer, spoke at the recent TechCrunch Disrupt Summit in San Francisco.
Yesterday at #TCDisrupt, World Mobile Chief Digital Equity Officer and NBA Champion @TThompson introduced Uplift, a new community-owned wireless service powered by the World Mobile network.
Uplift delivers unlimited data starting at $9.99 per month, serving disadvantaged communities… pic.twitter.com/N9Sctexe7l
— World Mobile (@WorldMobileTeam) October 30, 2025
“Uplift is about taking the power back from Big Wireless and putting it in the hands of the people,” Thompson said in a written statement. “Every plan purchased strengthens the community it comes from. That's what equitable connectivity really means.”
The company, which offers unlimited data plans starting at $9.99 per month, also allows users to become AirNode operators. As operators, they earn a portion of the revenue generated within the network by providing community coverage. Each subscription contributes to network expansion at the neighborhood level.
Uplift will initially launch in Cleveland, where Thompson played his first NBA game and was selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Local entrepreneurs and small businesses will host the first wave of community-run hubs. More cities will be included in 2026 as the program grows.
“Telecommunications has reached a breaking point,” said Micky Watkins, CEO of World Mobile Group. “For decades, connectivity has enriched businesses while keeping billions of people away. Uplift, a Tristan initiative, proves there is a better way – one where access, ownership and rewards are shared.”
The network is based on blockchain technology and a Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN).
Thompson has progressed as a technology entrepreneur, becoming co-founder of Basketball.fun (an on-chain experience that tokenizes player value in real time), chief advisory officer at AxonDAO (an AI-powered medical research platform inspired by his brother's epilepsy condition), and chief content officer at TracyAI (a sports analytics platform).
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