Enable community-built wireless infrastructure to compete with carrier networks through economic incentives and blockchain coordination.
120,000+ hotspots in USA, Mexico; partnerships with AT&T, Movistar, DISH for data offload.
Updated Apr 2023Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week
Anyone can buy a Helium hotspot and deploy it at home or office. Hotspots run 24/7, receive wireless signals and forward them to the network.
Hotspot operators earn HNT tokens proportional to data transferred. Earnings depend on network activity and token price.
Proof of Coverage mechanism where hotspots attest their location and signal strength; the blockchain verifies claims and allocates rewards.
Carriers use HeliumOS to route indoor traffic through Helium hotspots and pay for that capacity.
| Spec | Helium Network |
|---|---|
| Active hotspots (as of 2026) | 120,000+R (reported) |
| Countries with carrier partnerships | USA, Mexico (expansion to Brazil)R (reported) |
| International roaming available | 100+ countriesR (reported) |
R reported by the company
Helium (Nova Labs)
Decentralized wireless, DePIN, hotspots, 5G mobile, HeliumOS
Nova Labs operates Helium, the world's largest decentralized wireless network. Thousands of community-owned hotspots provide LoRaWAN IoT and 5G cellular coverage. In September 2026, Helium launched HeliumOS, a carrier-enablement platform for MVNOs.
