You probably don’t know #dotdot, a young French start-up specializing in mobile plan sharing. The idea of this start-up: recover the gigabytes of data not consumed on your mobile plan to turn it into a source of income. A godsend when we know the data envelopes included in the packages offered by operators (notably Free Mobile) and the average consumption of French people. Indeed, according to Arcep, the French only use on average 16 GB per month.
The concept of #dotdot is based on a small WiFi repeater box sold for 40 euros as well as a mobile application which connects two types of users: the “dotors” who share their gigabytes, and the “endotes” who buy them. The system allows you to sell each gigabyte for 1 euro. The start-up recovers 20% to finance itself. The investment in the box can be amortized in 40 days according to Christophe Bureau, co-founder of #dotdot, at the rate of one gigabyte sold per day.
The connection is made securely and anonymously thanks to the range of the box (100 meters), without requiring password sharing. This technology is protected by an international patent, guaranteeing the confidentiality of exchanges. The device offers an average speed of 15 Mb/senough to watch a streaming movie which would only consume around 1 GB.
“Made in France” manufacturing, international ambitions
#dotdot is committed to a circular economy starting with an almost entirely French production : the case is made from recycled plastic at the Renault factory in Flins, while the electronics come from Lille. Only the battery, imported from China, escapes this rule, a constraint that is difficult to circumvent in the current market context. China has in fact taken control of almost all the mineral extraction areas necessary for the manufacture of batteries.
If the price per gigabyte in France could limit the financial appeal of the solution, the international prospects seem more promising, particularly in the United States where a gigabyte costs on average $6. This pricing difference could accelerate the adoption of the service in the American market. It remains to be seen how #dotdot will be able to finance this.
Winner of CES 2025 in the “Smart Cities” category#dotdot is preparing to officially launch its platform. Success will largely depend on its ability to reach a critical mass of users. A major challenge in an already very competitive telecommunications market.
- #dotdot allows you to resell your unused gigabytes at €1 per unit via a secure €40 WiFi box
- The solution particularly targets campuses, associations and industrial zones with a speed of 15 Mb/s
- Made in France and winner of CES 2025, the service is also aimed internationally, particularly the United States where data is more expensive
