World Mobile has always believed connectivity should create value for the people who use it. Our USA mobile service proved that this mission could power a premium, privacy-first network for crypto users and digital innovators. Now, we’re launching a new initiative in partnership with NBA Champion and World Mobile Chief Digital Equity Officer Tristan Thompson.
Announced live at TechCrunch 2025, Uplift is a brand-new cell service that delivers unlimited data from $9.99 per month, providing affordable, reliable connectivity that enables underserved communities to reclaim power over their connectivity. The service is powered by the foundation of the World Mobile Chain (WMC) and a DePIN that has already connected millions worldwide.
Uplift begins its rollout with a city that Tristan Thompson shares a deep personal connection with: Cleveland, Ohio.
Why Cleveland: A Story of Industrial Prowess and Structural Neglect
Once the heart of American industry, Cleveland has faced decades of underinvestment, rising poverty, and shrinking economic opportunities over the last century. The closure of major manufacturing plants like General Motors’ Fisher Body Division and U.S. Steel’s Cuyahoga Works in the early 1980s marked a turning point for the worse. Since then, industrial decline has been followed by population loss and dwindling infrastructure investment.
Today, Cleveland is a city left behind, with nearly 30% of residents living below the poverty line and child poverty rates among the highest in the country. A lack of reliable connectivity makes large, community-wide solutions almost impossible, cutting residents off from education, healthcare, and economic mobility.
Tristan Thompson knows this story firsthand. His NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers gave him a front-row view of a city that works hard but receives little in return. Through his role as Chief Digital Equity Officer at World Mobile, Tristan is now turning that personal insight into action, leading the first rollout of Uplift with Cleveland’s reality at its core.
“Uplift is about taking power back from Big Wireless and putting it in the hands of the people. Every plan purchased strengthens the community it comes from. That is what equitable connectivity really means.” - Tristan Thompson, NBA Champion and Chief Digital Equity Officer at World Mobile
Uplift is built to serve where the need is greatest. It brings unlimited data, affordable connectivity, local ownership, and shared rewards to cities like Cleveland, historically disenfranchised but ready to rebuild their own digital destiny.
Tristan’s Personal Connection with Cleveland
Tristan Thompson’s leadership is central to Uplift. His connection to Cleveland extends beyond basketball. He understands the structure of its neighborhoods, the challenges residents face, and the unique opportunities that digital access can unlock.
Working with local entrepreneurs and civic groups, Tristan is now spearheading Uplift’s community rollout. Through the Community Connectivity Fund, he is also creating financial pathways for residents from low-income communities to become stakeholders in their own connectivity, rebuilding their own infrastructure.
For the Cleveland rollout, Tristan’s focus is on inclusion, ensuring that every part of the city, from Glenville to Old Brooklyn, can benefit from a network tailor-made to the community’s needs, powered by World Mobile’s decentralized ethos.
In this sense, Uplift’s Cleveland launch represents both a personal and a civic milestone. It reflects Tristan’s personal commitment to the city and underlines World Mobile’s belief that access to reliable connectivity is crucial to bring about community-driven socioeconomic reform.
Building the Future Together
Cleveland is the first city where we’re launching Uplift in partnership with Tristan Thompson. Its history of endurance, self-determination, and community spirit embodies the purpose behind this new service.
Over the next several years, Uplift will expand to additional USA cities, focusing on historically underserved communities that have been overlooked by legacy telecoms. Each rollout will follow the same principle that defines World Mobile’s decentralized ethos: connectivity, opportunity, and community ownership must go hand in hand.
“Telecom has reached a breaking point. For decades, connectivity has enriched corporations while making digital equity inaccessible for structurally underserved communities. Uplift, developed in partnership with Tristan, proves there is a better way: one where access, ownership, and reward are shared by the people.” - Micky Watkins, CEO, World Mobile
Cleveland marks the start of that transformation, as a city reclaiming its future through connection, equity, and collective strength.
.png)
.png)
