The crypto-powered Helium 5G network created by Nova Labs has caught the attention of telecom giant Telefónica, which has partnered with the innovator to install units in Mexico City. As Cryptopolitan reports, Telefónica and Nova Labs will install multiple Helium Mobile networks in both Mexico City and Oaxaca.
The system works when users agree to connect to the nodes or hotspots from their homes or businesses and earn crypto tokens on the Solana blockchain. The crypto tokens are awarded as incentives for contributing to the operating network. The hotspots will recognize individuals via their authenticating phone SIM cards. Once a user successfully connects through the hotspot, calls will be routed through the proprietary Telefónica management system.
The Helium 5G network debuted in the U.S. in 2023, but Telefónica is the first carrier to deploy it in Mexico, according to the Cryptopolitan.
José Juan Haro, Telefónica’s chief wholesale and public affairs officer, praised the Helium Mobile hybrid arrangement as an innovative and cost efficient way to better serve its more than 383 million subscribers. Together, Nova Labs and Telefónica have stated that the decrease in infrastructure costs benefits them both. Nova Labs CEO, Amir Haleem, added that the decentralized approach to telecommunications networks was “pioneering” and a validation of the DePIN decentralized physical infrastructure concept.
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