Imagine earning passive income just by sharing your Wi-Fi. Now, imagine that same Wi-Fi helping global telecom giants like AT&T fill network dead zones. This isn't science fiction—it’s the vision behind Helium’s decentralized wireless network, a disruptive model powered by blockchain technology and championed by Nova Labs.

At Consensus 2025 in Toronto, Nova Labs COO Frank Mong revealed how the decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) model is benefiting both ends of the connectivity spectrum—from your local bar owner to the world’s largest telecom operators.

“It costs about $300,000 to build just one traditional telecom tower, and with 5G, you need one per block,” Mong said in his interview with Cointelegraph. “Instead of passing that cost to consumers, what if we empower everyday people and small businesses to extend coverage using the Wi-Fi they already have?”

Turning Wi-Fi into Wealth for Small Businesses

Helium’s decentralized model flips the script on traditional telecom. Instead of requiring huge upfront investment in physical infrastructure, it leverages community-owned wireless hotspots to create a vast, distributed network.

Small business owners—think cafés, convenience stores, and co-working spaces—can now host Helium hotspots. In return, they receive tokens or payments for the data transmitted through their networks. Not only does this open up a new stream of revenue, but it also helps eliminate internet black holes in urban and rural zones alike.

“This is the kind of decentralized economy we’ve been dreaming about for years,” said Mong. “It gives real economic value to real-world participants.”

Big Telecoms Are Buying In

While the grassroots approach helps small players, the tech’s real strength lies in scalability and cost reduction for telecom providers. In 2024, Nova Labs partnered with Telefónica to expand coverage across Latin America, especially in dead zones and congested urban centers. Then, in April 2025, AT&T signed on, giving its users automatic access to Helium’s hotspots when in range—seamlessly filling gaps in traditional coverage.

That’s where Helium’s telemetry capabilities come into play. The network offers large telecoms real-time insights into coverage and network health, all while using infrastructure they didn’t have to build.

“It’s a win-win,” Mong emphasized. “Consumers get better service, telecoms reduce costs, and local businesses earn money. That’s the kind of synergy decentralized systems are built to unlock.”

Global Growth and Real-World Resilience

According to Helium data, the U.S. currently hosts over 95,000 mobile hotspots, while the global total includes more than 284,000 Internet of Things (IoT) nodes. The system's decentralized nature not only expands coverage—it also brings resilience against outages, censorship, and single points of failure.

“What we’ve done in the U.S. and Mexico, we believe can be scaled globally,” Mong stated. Nova Labs is already in talks with multiple infrastructure providers in new regions to replicate their model.

A New Era of Telecom, Powered by the People

As the telecom industry grapples with rising costs and growing connectivity demands, Helium’s DePIN model signals a radical but effective shift. Blockchain isn’t just about cryptocurrencies—it’s enabling real-world applications that democratize access, empower small players, and enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure.

In a world increasingly reliant on digital communication, Helium’s decentralized network is proving that sometimes, the best way to build a global system is to let the local community do the heavy lifting.