Helium Network, a Solana-based DePIN project, has taken a significant step in its global expansion by entering the Brazilian market through a new partnership with Mambo WiFi. The move aims to improve mobile connectivity for millions of users across the largest country in South America. The announcement was made at Solana Breakpoint, where Helium also introduced an International Waitlist to support additional international deployments.
Addressing Brazil's Connectivity Challenges
Helium uses a decentralized, people-powered model that allows individuals and businesses to deploy Hotspots. These small devices operate as mini cell towers, extending mobile coverage and helping offload data from major carriers. The network currently includes more than 120,000 hotspots across the United States and Mexico, serving nearly 2 million users daily. Brazil represents the next major region to join the network.
Brazil faces a substantial connectivity gap. More than half of the country remains underconnected, and over 100 million people rely on shared or public Wi-Fi as their primary means of getting online. Mambo WiFi brings a nationwide footprint of 40,000 access points already used by major carriers. This infrastructure will support the rollout of Helium's model and accelerate coverage improvements for millions of Brazilians.
“Our collaboration with Mambo represents a significant milestone in expanding the Helium Network internationally. Together, we’re tackling the telco market in Brazil and pioneering a new model where people-powered networks deliver affordable, reliable coverage at scale. Mambo’s deep carrier experience and national footprint make them the perfect partner to accelerate this shift, while setting the stage for future carrier collaborations internationally." - Mario Di Dio, GM of Network at Helium.
Scaling through local partnerships
Helium believes that people-powered networks can grow in new regions at a faster rate and lower cost compared to traditional telecom models. The company plans to work with local carriers in additional regions to improve subscriber coverage through carrier offload. This approach reduces infrastructure costs and supports faster expansion.
At Solana Breakpoint, Helium launched an International Waitlist that invites communities, enterprises, and deployment partners to express interest in bringing the network to their region. This program will help identify high-demand areas and guide the next phase of Helium's global rollout.
Growth of Helium Mobile
Helium Mobile recently surpassed 500,000 total sign-ups, an all-time high at the time, and has steadily inched towards 600,000. The network now supports nearly 2 million daily users through more than 120,000 community-deployed Hotspots. These nodes help offload mobile data from traditional carriers and offer an incentive-driven alternative to centralized networks.
In late October, the Helium team announced that it would initiate a buyback of $HNT from the open market using a daily Dollar Cost Averaging strategy. Data from Blockworks show that these buybacks have totaled more than $1.3 million since the announcement.
Helium also plans to launch a Digital Asset Treasury to enhance its onchain capital management strategy. The new unit aims to acquire $HNT through open market and OTC purchases and deploy it in yield-generating activities that support long-term network sustainability. This effort aims to better align Helium with token holders and create opportunities for institutional and public-market investors.
Previous Partnerships and Expansions
Earlier in 2024, Telefónica partnered with Nova Labs to introduce Helium Mobile Hotspots in Mexico City and Oaxaca. This collaboration expanded Telefónica's mobile coverage by offloading data to the Helium Mobile Network, allowing Movistar customers to connect securely using their existing SIM cards.
Since then, Helium has launched the world's first free mobile plan and announced a collaboration with AT&T, a major telecommunications company with more than 117 million subscribers. The partnership uses Solana's DePIN protocol and its distributed network of mobile Hotspots to improve coverage and enhance services across the United States.
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