Helium collaborates with AT&T to provide WiFi services to thousands of locations across the United States.

Source: Cointelegraph Original text: “Helium partners with AT&T to provide WiFi services at thousands of locations across the U.S.”

The decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) project Helium has partnered with American telecommunications giant AT&T to provide WiFi services to users.

According to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph on April 24, as part of the collaboration, AT&T users can now connect to the community-built WiFi network of Helium. Helium Mobile data shows that the network currently has over 93,500 hotspots, most of which are located in the United States.

The Helium network is operated by individuals and businesses who act as hotspots by purchasing and operating small base stations. These operators are rewarded with digital assets for assisting in the network’s growth and providing coverage.

Amir Haleem, co-founder and CEO of Helium Mobile (the mobile network division of Helium), stated that collaborating with industry leaders like AT&T will “rapidly accelerate the adoption process of Helium and bring real value to network participants and partners’ customers.” He also hinted that “this is just the beginning,” with more announcements to come in the future.

By integrating with AT&T, users can authenticate WiFi through AT&T’s Passpoint WiFi roaming service, which allows customers to automatically connect to WiFi networks when available on participating networks. Through this system, decentralized nodes are integrated into traditional service networks.

Helium claims that its decentralized network currently has over 800,000 daily active users using its connectivity services. The company has signed an agreement with Movistar, a subsidiary of the Mexican telecommunications operator Telefónica, and is collaborating with other unspecified mobile network operators to enhance its network coverage. This partnership follows Helium Mobile’s announcement in February of the launch of a free plan, which the company claims is the first free phone plan in the United States.

In January of this year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against Helium developer Nova Labs. The lawsuit was filed just days before former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler left office, accusing the company of selling unregistered investment products.

In early April, the SEC reached a settlement with Nova Labs, dismissing the lawsuit after paying a civil penalty of $200,000. A company representative stated at the time:

“This result indicates that selling hardware and distributing tokens for network development will not automatically be classified as securities in the eyes of the SEC, and the SEC cannot bring these charges against Helium again.”

Related recommendations: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has dismissed the lawsuit against Helium regarding alleged securities violations.