Helium Mobile, a decentralized wireless network provider formed by Nova Labs, has reached 45,000 subscribers according to the latest statistics from Dune.
The high number comes after Helium Mobile launched its $20 everything plan in the United States — unlimited talk, text, and data — and started tracking its subscriber count with non-fungible tokens.
Although the NFTs were originally an opt-in feature for new customers, Helium Mobile has now said that every customer in its network has an on-chain NFT associated with their account.
According to Dune, Helium Mobile’s subscriber count is up 26.7% in the past month, 5.6% in the past week, and 0.8% today. There are 45,328 Helium subscriber NFTs overall, with the biggest jump occurring on January 3rd when 5,264 NFTs were minted.
The company’s new plan and price point seem to be working, with the boom of new users coming after months of little to no new NFTs minted. Helium Mobile has said it aims to take on big, centralized mobile services providers in the U.S., which CEO Amir Haleem says have Americans “over a barrel.”
Haleem added that Helium Mobile is tired of big mobile services companies hiding high charges under the guise of free phone upgrades and believes “Americans deserve better.”
The move to add the $20 plan comes after a pilot in South Florida, where customers have access to a $5 everything plan. Some publications have reported that it’s been difficult for Helium Mobile to turn a profit.
How does Helium’s network and Web3 elements work?
DeWi — decentralized wireless — is another way Web3 is trying to restore power to the end-user, but even long-time Web3 denizens might not be unfamiliar with the details. So, how does the Helium network really work?
Like this: Helium’s network involves two components — a mass of Helium-created devices that provide hotspot areas for wireless coverage with backup to T-Mobile’s network when a user can’t find a Helium-created device access area.
Those have been around for a bit. The new feature is the NFT, which plays its own unique role in the Helium Mobile ecosystem.
When a new customer subscribes to the Helium network, they receive an NFT that supports location-tracking. This helps Helium and its customers understand where to add more Helium devices. People who run a device can receive a cryptocurrency as a reward when people use the network.
The NFTs are stored in the Helium Wallet on the Solana blockchain, which is known for its fast speeds and low transaction costs. Solana itself has experienced a resurgence of late, of which Helium Mobile is a part.
Helium’s ecosystem is certainly interesting, and novel as well. We’ll be keeping an eye on the company’s subscriber count and the ecosystem in general, and report back with any developments if needed.
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