Helium Mobile Announces 2023 Roadmap to Accelerate 5G Network Coverage and Validation
Helium Mobile, the new type of wireless carrier and the mobile wireless arm of Nova Labs, has announced its 2023 roadmap. The roadmap focuses on launching exciting new products that will benefit subscribers and the larger Helium ecosystem, and accelerate coverage and network verification. The roadmap also aims to validate this new, innovative economic model for future forward-thinking carriers. Here is an outline of the roadmap:
Q1 (January to March):
- Build Helium Mobile products and services
- Work closely with Helium Foundation and other community members to accelerate improvements for how useful coverage is defined and rewarded
Q2 (April to June):
- Launch Helium Mobile Beta
- Launch Helium Mobile Hotspot (indoor version)
- Launch Helium Mobile Spot
Q3 (July to September):
- Launch Helium Mobile Hotspot (outdoor version)
- Work with other manufacturers to build their own Mobile Hotspots
Helium Mobile is working on delivering a new type of carrier that will build products to accelerate and validate Helium 5G network coverage. It will also work with the Helium Foundation and the community to help shape the Helium 5G network. The key features of the 2023 roadmap are a beta launch of Helium Mobile in Q2, the ability for Helium Mobile users to earn MOBILE tokens, and the launch of both indoor and outdoor versions of the Helium Mobile Hotspot in Q2 and Q3 respectively. The Helium Mobile Spot, a dedicated hardware mapping device, will also launch in Q2.
The Helium Mobile community brings together technical and non-technical users and rewards participants for the value they add to the network. The rewards are ultimately determined by the community and the Foundation, but they are expected to be proportionate to the value provided. Helium Mobile is focused on providing affordable solutions that anyone can confidently deploy, to enable more participation by community members in building and validating the network.
Helium Mobile plans to launch Helium Mobile Beta, an invitation-only beta version, in Q2. Beta users will be able to sign up for a Helium Mobile plan and use the service at a promotional price, earn MOBILE tokens, and provide feedback on how to improve the service. After the beta version, Helium Mobile will exit beta and make the service available to a broader audience.
The Helium 5G network presently consists only of CBRS radios and gateway bundles, and to lower the barrier to entry and help accelerate Helium 5G network coverage, Helium Mobile will launch a new device, the Helium Mobile Hotspot. The Helium Mobile Hotspots will use Wi-Fi to provide coverage and will have a significantly lower price point than the CBRS radios and gateway bundles. They will also be easier to set up, making participation much more accessible to a larger audience.
Mapping the Helium 5G network is an important activity that will help ensure useful coverage is being provided and rewarded accordingly. Helium Mobile is working with the Helium Foundation and the broader community to improve the framework for what defines useful coverage and how those providing coverage are rewarded by the network. Helium Mobile Spot, a hardware device dedicated to mapping the Helium 5G network, will launch in 2023.
Helium Mobile's 2023 roadmap also aims to work with other manufacturers to build their own Mobile Hotspots. The dates mentioned in the roadmap are subject to change due to the dynamic nature of the industry and the complexity of the solutions being built. The roadmap is aimed at providing transparency with the community, and users can sign up for the waitlist at hellohelium.com.
If you are interested in getting an eSIM, you can find it at try.heliumsim.com. However, please note that the eSIMs are limited in number, so act fast to ensure you get your hands on one!
