The Helium Network is revolutionizing commercial wireless networks by enabling individuals to own and host a piece of the infrastructure. The network was originally conceived on LoRaWAN, but the vision has always been to apply the same decentralized properties and economic incentives to other wireless networks. This month, the Helium Community took a major stride into the next wireless network. We’re thrilled to share that HIP 27 has been approved and paves the way for 5G on the Helium Network.
Helium Data Credits (DCs) were originally designed with a fixed ratio to data packets transmitted over the network. To bring 5G and other high throughput networks to Helium, HIP 27 introduces a chain variable that creates a conversion ratio for DCs to data based on both network type and geography. The HIP establishes a network usage cost for 5G that is orders of magnitude cheaper compared with legacy infrastructure. This wouldn’t be possible without the right technology provider, which is why we’re also excited to share that
FreedomFi, a leader in open 5G, is joining the Helium ecosystem as the first approved 5G gateway partner.
To help accelerate the proliferation of 5G, the DeWi Alliance is pleased to share that FreedomFi has been awarded the first DeWi Alliance grant. Since late 2019, FreedomFi has been working on a gateway that leverages the recently opened 3.5 GHz band also referred to as
Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). The grant will fund work to make FreedomFi gateways compatible with the Helium Network, allowing anyone to mine cryptocurrency by providing 5G cellular coverage. Like the majority of Helium technologies, FreedomFi’s software is open source. This, combined with CBRS shared spectrum makes it economically feasible to set up a 5G access point for individuals who want to provide coverage within the Helium network.
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