en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Helium Network is expanding its operations through a distinctive approach, with its decentralized wireless (DeWi) model evolving from concept to carrier-grade application. After its consumer-facing brand, Helium Mobile, was handed over to Andrew Yang's Noble Mobile for management, the Helium team has refocused on the network itself.
Based on the decentralized wireless (DeWi) model, the Helium Network incentivizes individuals and businesses to purchase and install shared Wi-Fi hotspots. Hotspot hosts earn Helium Network Token (HNT) cryptocurrency rewards based on usage. The network has deployed over 140,000 mobile hotspots globally. Helium's new CEO, Mario Di Dio, has been working to build a "carrier-grade" network that can interoperate with major U.S. operators (AT&T, T-Mobile) and Mexico's Telefónica, while also advancing international expansion in Brazil and the UK.
The Helium Network's development has not been without challenges. Its HNT cryptocurrency token fell 64% this month and is down 87% year-to-date. On the day former CEO Amir Haleen announced his departure (he remains chairman), HNT's value dropped 15%. Despite these challenges, Di Dio remains optimistic about Helium's future, pointing to its ability to provide Wi-Fi offloading capabilities to major wireless operators as a key value proposition.
In an interview with Fierce, Di Dio noted that the traditional concept of "offloading" may lag behind reality. In the past, when operators turned to Wi-Fi due to network congestion, user experience often suffered because operators could not effectively control Wi-Fi network quality. Helium has changed this through its Quality of Service (QoS) platform, which allows operators to dynamically monitor and manage Wi-Fi offloading sessions, providing near-real-time metrics to operators so they can determine whether a user is better served by Wi-Fi or cellular networks. "That's why I think this is no longer the simple offloading of the past," Di Dio said.
Looking ahead, Di Dio believes discussions around QoS for Wi-Fi management within 3GPP standards are increasing, and Helium's secret lies in "being able to achieve this on today's Wi-Fi," which is seen as a value proposition enhancer. Helium is highly active in the Wi-Fi industry, including in Central Africa, and is pushing OEMs and ODM within organizations like the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) to include QoS metrics in their protocol stacks, aiming to help the entire industry adopt a quality-of-service-first mindset.
Di Dio noted that Starlink Mobile's progress in the direct-to-device (D2D) space is indeed noteworthy, but he pointed out that Starlink faces indoor coverage challenges, where Helium has a clear advantage through Wi-Fi. Approximately 80% of mobile traffic occurs indoors. He believes that Wi-Fi Passpoint, along with Helium's intelligent approach to Wi-Fi offloading, is the answer to current challenges. Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is also seen as a catalyst for Wi-Fi development. When operators' FWA traffic approaches capacity limits, Wi-Fi will become key to serving more customers. Di Dio predicts that demand for Wi-Fi offloading will continue to grow, and Helium, due to its unique approach to handling Wi-Fi offloading, will be well-positioned.
Regarding the view that private LTE/5G could replace Wi-Fi, Di Dio stated that this is not a winner-takes-all market. In different use cases, private 5G, Wi-Fi, or Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) each have their advantages. "The reality is that Wi-Fi will always be here. Standards evolve every year, making the user experience more reliable," he said. He believes the future network will be a multi-network convergence model, where the system can intelligently choose the best connection among cellular, Wi-Fi, or satellite, with no single technology dominating the market.
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