CES 2025: Welcome to the Proximity Internet

Content consumers who fret about the carbon footprint of their downloads have a new option: they can go green with Hopcast’s new energy-efficient content sharing solution.

At CES 2025 in Las Vegas this week, Hopcast is introducing the first device-to-device (D2D) energy-efficient content sharing solution. The company really does thin k it’s a big deal: it claims that it marks the dawn of the sustainable and inclusive “Proximity Internet”. 

This is how Farid Benbadis, CEO and co-founder of Hopcast, describes it: “Imagine traveling through Tokyo every time you go from New York to Philadelphia. Unthinkable, right? Yet this is exactly what happens with mobile data every time you message a colleague using a chat service. 

“We created Hopcast to solve this issue. Hopcast is not just a technology; it’s a movement toward sustainable, inclusive connectivity. By leveraging proximity-based data sharing, it reduces environmental impact, bridges digital divides, and redefines how we interact with the digital world.”

Patented by CNRS, Sorbonne Université, and Thales, Hopcast redefines digital communication by bypassing traditional cloud-dependent networks.

Hopcast provided the following examples of the potential impact of its solution:

• Network Efficiency: During streaming events like Netflix’s Squid Game, which caused South Korea’s network traffic to spike by 24 times, Hopcast could have reduced data transfer by up to 63%, alleviating congestion and lowering costs for providers and users alike.
• Cost Reduction: For regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, where 1GB of mobile data can cost as much as 6.8% of an average monthly income, Hopcast offers an affordable alternative, making digital access more equitable.
• Environmental Impact: By reducing reliance on energy-intensive data centres, Hopcast cuts energy consumption by up to 40%, saving as much as 1.5kg of CO2 per gigabyte shared.

The internet’s infrastructure is heavily centralised, with most data routed through global servers, regardless of proximity. This creates:

• High Data Costs: Billions of people face prohibitive mobile data fees. In Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, 1 GB can cost 6.8% of the average monthly income

• Energy Waste: Data from one device often travels thousands of kilometers, traversing routers and servers, even when the recipient is mere meters away.

• Digital Divide: Half of the world still depends on 3G or 2G networks, while 5G and emerging 6G remain inaccessible to many

For the past few years, mobile devices on the market have been capable of establishing native D2D communications. However, their use remained limited because no solution would allow devices to know which other devices they should communicate with to retrieve content. 

Hopcast says it disrupts traditional data pathways by orchestrating intelligent, localized exchanges between mobile devices. Its patented system seamlessly integrates into popular content apps (like streaming platforms), identifying proximity-based sharing opportunities. No additional app downloads are required. The result: A streamlined, eco-friendly network capable of handling multimedia, live video, and software updates. Building on early experiments in mobile opportunistic traffic offloading, this innovation represents the next evolutionary step in communication technology.

Hopcast’s core innovation lies in its Hopcast Intelligent Controller (HIC), a cloud-based orchestrator paired with a lightweight SDK (Software Development Kit) integrated into content applications. Through dynamic pairing, the HIC identifies nearby devices that either have or need specific content, initiating secure, direct connections between them. Once paired, data flows seamlessly via a direct link (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for now and Sidecar link in future 5G releases), bypassing traditional networks entirely. This approach eliminates redundant downloads from centralised servers. Key features include:

•  Localised Transfers: Data moves directly between devices.

•  Seamless Integration: Works within existing apps—no new software or user intervention required.

•  Privacy-First Design: Data remains encrypted and shared locally, without passing through servers.

•   Multi-Device Connectivity: Operates across Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other native mobile capabilities.

•   Reduced Energy Use: Cellular dependency drops, saving up to 99,99% in transmission energy.

Offline Capability: Hopcast supports content sharing without active internet, particularly beneficial in regions with unreliable connectivity.

By enabling direct communication between mobile devices, the technology eliminates the need for content to pass through intermediary servers, effectively removing potential vulnerability points. This design ensures that exchanges remain strictly between the intended users, without interception or storage by third parties. For individuals, this means peace of mind in an era where protecting personal data has become a top priority.

Traditional cloud infrastructure relies on energy-intensive data centers. When two devices in the same room exchange messages via a centralised server, data travels hundreds of kilometers unnecessarily. This inefficiency contributes to significant energy waste and carbon emissions.

Unlocking digital access in Africa 

Hopcast says it marks a new era for educational access. For example, in Senegal, students at Cheikh Anta Diop University faced unique challenges during COVID-19 lockdowns. Prohibitive mobile data costs and poor network coverage forced many to download course materials at night, when data was cheaper. 

Hopcast revolutionised this process. It allowed students to share lecture videos and notes offline, dramatically lowering costs. Hopcast has ongoing pilot programs in Senegal to improve access to educational materials for underserved students and, implicitly, its potential to democratise education across Africa.