Via the Althea.net FAQ:

Althea is an Internet Service Provider (ISP) platform and blockchain that enables the coordination of multi-stakeholder networks. Althea decouples the service and infrastructure layers of Internet delivery and coordinates transparent and programmatic revenue sharing.

Using Althea’s platform networks can be built faster and more economically than ever before.

Althea’s flexible payment structure opens new markets and supports new entrants into the market by enabling them to capitalize on underutilized bandwidth and non-traditional telecom-oriented real estate.