Successful pilots in Mexico City and Oaxaca highlight the potential of Helium’s decentralized wireless technology.
Movistar, Telefonica’s mobile operator in Mexico, and Helium, a pioneer in decentralized wireless communications, are beginning to roll out the Helium Network, which will activate service for more than 2 million Movistar subscribers throughout Mexico. This initial phase of the partnership will include expanding the network across more than 300 sites.
In 2024, Movistar and Helium carried out a pilot project with real Movistar customers aiming to expand the operator’s coverage in the country in certain areas to allow the offloading of mobile data traffic on the Helium Network.
This was made possible by a jointly designed architecture that allows Movistar subscribers to seamlessly connect to the Helium Network.
This expansion accelerates the mass adoption of the Helium Network and reduces Movistar’s costs. The Helium community will deploy Helium mobile hotspots, which will be available for purchase at Movistar retail stores and online channels, to rapidly expand coverage in Mexico.
As part of this agreement, Movistar will also be able to resell the coverage of the Helium Network to other local MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators).
Successful pilots in Mexico City and Oaxaca highlight the potential of Helium’s decentralized wireless technology.
During the pilot phase, Movistar subscribers downloaded an average of 390 MB of data per day to the Helium network (the equivalent of five hours of browsing social networks or sending 3,900 emails) and maintained approximately one hour of daily connection time
Together, Helium and Movistar are revolutionizing the traditional telecommunications business model with a bold new business model that leverages network infrastructure that functions as people-powered mini-cell towers, rather than giant, centrally operated cell phone towers. This model dramatically reduces overall infrastructure costs for operators while also improving coverage for consumers.
As a major player in the telecommunications industry, Movistar’s adoption of this people-driven model demonstrates the potential of decentralized wireless technology and places Mexico at the forefront of cutting-edge technology.
“At Telefónica Movistar Mexico we are focused on working under an alliance model that allows us to accelerate technological deployment and provide better quality to users, while generating efficiencies. We are looking at what is possible and exploring how a people-driven network can bring more value to Telefonica and our subscribers throughout Mexico. This alliance will be a milestone in the transformation of connectivity, with Mexico at the forefront,” said Camilo Aya Caro, President and CEO, Telefónica Movistar Mexico.
Today, the Helium network has nearly 59,000 access points deployed in Mexico and the United States and more than 300,000 daily subscribers to Helium Mobile and other major operators already using the network.
“Helium is on a mission to make connectivity more affordable for the masses,” said Mario Di Dio, Helium’s general manager of networking. “Collaborating with Movistar amplifies our vision of decentralized connectivity, inviting millions of its subscribers to use the Helium network.”
