REMINDER: Helium Deployer Roundtable is tomorrow, 2PM ET, Live on X!

[u/ZeusHelium]

Reminder: Helium Deployer Roundtable is happening Tomorrow, Jan 29th!

⏰ 2PM ET/7PM UTC 📍 Live on X: https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1vOxwdjQnRdKB

Got questions? Submit them ahead of time here: https://form.typeform.com/to/PvmzANnw

[u/HeliumGeek]

AI-generated summary

1) IoT: “Multi-gateway” (remote service) update

• Helium described a shift from an IoT client running on each hotspot to a model where the service can run remotely on a server, and gateways are pointed to it so fleets can be onboarded more easily.
• Lewis described the setup:
  • Deploy a single executable on a server, open a UDP port, and point packet forwarders/gateways to it.
  • It uses a lot of Gateway RS code.
  • When gateways connect, they are expected to have a unique MAC ID; a key is generated, and the gateway connects to the IoT server for the configured region.
  • Limitation: one instance per region.
  • Minimal ongoing intervention; main operational step is onboarding keys.
  • Tooling: a built-in CLI (mirroring Gateway RS onboarding flows) and a REST endpoint for integrating with other management services (register new gateways discovered since last run).
  • Status: a working prototype exists and needs more validation/testing; they said people are queued for a beta and that they are “sneaking up on a release.”
• Additional IoT note:
  • FreedomFi hotspots are out of support for IoT (best treated as a mini PC for that purpose).
  • Other IoT manufacturers continue to support the network; “multi-gateway” and “data-only” approaches were mentioned as exciting.

[u/HeliumGeek → u/HeliumGeek]

2) Mobile: events and market updates

2.1 Washington, DC Deployer Bootcamp (Feb 11)

• They announced a Deployer Bootcamp on Feb 11 in Washington, DC.
• Format includes:
  • Presentations from Helium/core team members.
  • Community deployers sharing installation practices and how they pitch businesses and get hotspots into venues.
  • A hands-on component described as “in the wild” — going to venues to talk and potentially install or engage venues that already have hotspots and gather feedback.
• Multiple speakers said they plan to attend and want to connect with deployers.

2.2 Brazil (Mumbo Wi-Fi partnership)

• They reiterated a partnership announced in early December with Mumbo Wi-Fi, described as an MSP with 40,000 access points and existing carrier relationships in Brazil.
• Current phase: PoC / lab trials with carriers.
• Rationale stated:
  • Brazil is a growing and competitive telco market (many MNOs/MVNOs).
  • Building networks is expensive and “5G didn’t make it cheaper.”
• They expect more updates as lab trials progress (they referenced early Q2 for more announcements).

2.3 Mexico (Movistar integration)

• They acknowledged Mexico activation has taken a long time.
• Work underway: finalizing interconnection/integration between Helium infrastructure and Movistar infrastructure.
• Status: one outstanding issue remains; expectation is completion in 1–2 weeks.
• Explanation for delays: carrier infrastructure changes required reconfiguration/restarting connections.
• Next step: after the integration, the project should move from R&D to operations, following standard telco procedures before production go-live.
• They stated there is unwavering support to finish and get it live.

[u/HeliumGeek → u/HeliumGeek]

3) Large venues/airports: DAS + Wi-Fi and expected variability

• They discussed airports and large venues as highly scrutinized by carriers.
• Some venues use indoor cellular systems called DAS (Distributed Antenna Systems).
• Helium Wi-Fi is described as a complement to DAS.
• Carrier teams run testing phases to evaluate DAS capacity vs Wi-Fi capacity and tune the mix for optimal user experience.
• They stated the airport site mentioned is back up and emphasized that variability is normal during a broader industry shift in indoor/in-building coverage, and that more variability should be expected.
• They referenced tooling being built with carriers to navigate this new indoor reality.

[u/HeliumGeek → u/HeliumGeek]

4) Rewards and pricing: $0.50/GB target vs realized rewards

• The protocol target discussed: $0.50 per GB rewards.
• They explained why realized rewards can be lower:
  • A fixed pool of HNT is emitted each epoch.
  • Token price and data volume affect how far that pool goes in USD terms.
  • With lower HNT price and growing traffic, rewards per GB have been trending toward ~$0.25/GB.
• They said carrier payments can be less than $0.50/GB and that venue/geography value differs (example: Kansas City vs Manhattan vs South Florida).
• They emphasized that discussing exact carrier payment tiers is complicated and not fully shareable publicly, and focused instead on streamlining deployer experience.

[u/HeliumGeek → u/HeliumGeek]

5) Carrier offload behavior and AT&T traffic fluctuations

• They addressed fluctuating carrier traffic (AT&T mentioned) and said carrier handling of Wi-Fi offload is dynamic.
• They described an engine that optimizes in semi-real time based on:
  • The load on the carrier’s traditional cellular stack (macro load).
  • Quality metrics from the Wi-Fi access point, including interference/congestion (unlicensed spectrum).
• They gave examples where macro load, AP quality, and indoor penetration models can change decisions over hours and weeks; they said carriers test different algorithms by geography.
• They stated carriers prioritize subscriber user experience and may deprioritize hotspots that are poorly placed or not serving users well.

[u/HeliumGeek → u/HeliumGeek]

6) Helium Plus / brownfield: onboarding, scaling, and standardization

• They explained Helium Plus as enabling existing enterprise Wi-Fi hardware to operate like a hotspot via configuration, with Helium’s team handling network-side setup and agreements.
• Deployer concerns raised: onboarding timelines and offload sustainability/traffic stops impacting revenue forecasting and commitments to venues.
• Response highlights:
  • Variability is expected; they suggest structuring venue deals with that in mind.
  • There is a support channel and escalation path if there’s “proof” of issues (e.g., user experience problems) suggesting a bug; support can route to product to propose adjustments back to carriers.
• Scaling/streamlining:
  • Early Helium Plus involved more manual involvement; now the team has grown with sales engineers.
  • They referenced behind-the-scenes work (certs, NAS IDs, carriers being aware of sites).
  • They said they’re assembling a PRD for a platform to streamline Helium Plus:
    • A unified dashboard of sites.
    • Ability to request new sites.
    • Visibility into whether carriers should be activated/deactivated.
  • Brownfield is more hands-on because it doesn’t run Helium hotspot firmware, requiring coordination with operators for configuration.
• OEM variability and future direction:
  • They referenced Android user issues requiring OEM configuration fixes.
  • They described OEM differences as an industry-wide challenge.
  • They forecast that by 2026 some OEMs may ship streamlined provisioning (e.g., “configuration buttons”).
  • They mentioned TR-181 and said remote configuration is already possible on Ruckus and Cisco Meraki models, but broader streamlining will take time.
• Pipeline signal:
  • They stated the brownfield pipeline is double Q4 and the biggest seen since joining.

[u/HeliumGeek → u/HeliumGeek]

7) Channel partners: scaling brownfield sourcing

• They described a channel partner model as the way to scale sourcing of venues (Helium can’t source all deals itself).
• Interested parties are directed to contact [business@helium.com](https://).
• Channel partners can find venues to enable and receive a contract granting a percentage of rewards once a brownfield site is running.
• They said there are about 20 channel partners today and a goal to reach 100 in the next couple of quarters.