The Helium Network’s LoRaWAN (IoT) sub-network is rapidly evolving in 2025. From fee reductions and decentralized packet routing to Proof-of-Coverage improvements and stronger hardware standards, Helium is solidifying its role as the largest community-powered IoT network in the world.
The Helium Network was originally built around LoRaWAN, a low-power, wide-area wireless technology designed for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Today, this LoRaWAN sub-network remains critical to Helium’s mission of creating a decentralized, community-owned wireless infrastructure. In 2025, Helium has introduced major improvements that strengthen reliability, lower costs, and expand opportunities for developers and businesses worldwide.
What’s New in 2025?
Several key changes are reshaping how the Helium LoRaWAN ecosystem operates:
- Decentralized Routing Architecture: The Helium LoRaWAN architecture now allows anyone to operate both Hotspots and LoRaWAN Network Servers (LNSs). The introduction of the Helium Packet Router (HPR) and IoT Config Service provides a flexible, blockchain-enabled system for routing packets without central points of failure.
- Reduced Onboarding & Assertion Fees: As of April 9, 2025, onboarding a new IoT Hotspot costs only $10 in Data Credits, and setting a location (assertion) costs just $1. This makes participation more accessible and encourages broader deployment.
- Maker Ecosystem Refresh: The Helium Foundation reviewed approved Hotspot vendors and removed those not meeting support, firmware, and compliance standards. This ensures that only reliable, well-supported hardware is part of the ecosystem.
- Proof-of-Coverage Enhancements: Ongoing refinements to Proof-of-Coverage algorithms help ensure that deployed Hotspots provide real, usable coverage rather than gaming the system. This strengthens the integrity of the LoRaWAN sub-network.
Why LoRaWAN Matters
LoRaWAN is the backbone of Helium’s IoT infrastructure. It enables devices with extremely low power requirements—such as sensors, meters, and trackers—to communicate over long distances at very low costs. This opens opportunities across industries:
- Smart Cities: Air quality sensors, parking meters, and environmental monitors use LoRaWAN for real-time data collection.
- Logistics & Supply Chain: Asset trackers and temperature sensors for shipping provide businesses with better visibility.
- Agriculture: Soil sensors, irrigation systems, and livestock trackers reduce costs and improve efficiency for farmers.
- Utilities: Gas, water, and energy companies use LoRaWAN-enabled meters for real-time consumption data.
Why the Updates Matter
The 2025 updates are strategically important for three reasons:
- Accessibility: Lower onboarding and assertion fees make it easier for individuals, small businesses, and municipalities to participate in building the network.
- Reliability: The Maker program refresh ensures that only compliant, well-supported devices are deployed, reducing downtime and improving coverage quality.
- Scalability: Decentralized routing with HPR and the Config Service future-proofs the network, ensuring it can support millions of devices without bottlenecks.
Proof-of-Coverage: Strengthening Trust
The Proof-of-Coverage (PoC) mechanism remains central to Helium’s LoRaWAN side. It ensures that Hotspots are providing legitimate wireless coverage and not just spoofing signals. Recent algorithm refinements focus on:
- Reducing false-positive coverage claims.
- Rewarding Hotspots that contribute meaningful, reliable coverage.
- Discouraging network gaming and fraudulent deployments.
This means token rewards are increasingly aligned with real-world value delivered to the network, reinforcing trust for developers and enterprise users.
Implementation Timeline
- Q1 2025: Maker program refresh begins, removing non-compliant hardware vendors.
- April 9, 2025: Onboarding fee cut to $10 DC, assertion fee reduced to $1 DC.
- Mid–Late 2025: Decentralized HPR and Config Service deployment continues globally, improving scalability.
The Road Ahead
With these updates, Helium’s LoRaWAN network is becoming more accessible, reliable, and scalable. Lowering fees reduces barriers for new entrants, while improved Proof-of-Coverage and stricter hardware standards strengthen network trust. As LoRaWAN adoption grows across industries, Helium is positioned to remain the largest and most decentralized IoT network in the world.