Telefónica and Nova Labs launch Helium Mobile Hotspots in Mexico

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01/24/2024 - 07:00 AM

Telefónica customer coverage extended in Mexico City and Oaxaca by offloading mobile data to the Helium Mobile Network.
Telefónica and Nova Labs pioneering solution enables Telefónica customers to connect to the Helium Mobile Network in a secure and controlled manner using their existing SIM.

MEXICO CITY and LOS ANGELES, Jan. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Telefónica (NYSE: TEF), the world's leading telecommunications services provider, and Nova Labs, a pioneer in decentralized wireless communication technologies, have partnered to launch Helium Mobile Hotspots in Mexico. The solution, implemented with select customers in Mexico City and Oaxaca, will extend Telefónica's coverage and enable offloading of mobile data to the Helium Mobile Network and improve overall mobile coverage service for customers.

Telefónica and Nova Labs have built a solution based on the OpenWifi standard developed by the Telecom Infra Project (TIP). This solution enables select Movistar customers in Mexico to access the Helium Mobile Network using their Movistar SIM cards for authentication.

"Telefónica is exploring ways to expand coverage through innovative, lower-cost, cooperative-based solutions. This program in Mexico is critical to evaluate performance and customer satisfaction of this solution and its associated costs," said José Juan Haro, Chief Wholesale and Public Affairs Officer at Telefónica. "Our expectation, if successful, is to incorporate this into our portfolio of mobile networks in the different countries of the region."

Helium Mobile Hotspots are connected to a proprietary management system developed by Telefónica, which controls its customers' automatic access to the Helium Mobile Network for mobile data sessions. Telefónica maintains full control of the customer experience and monitors hotspot status before allowing access and downloading data over the Helium Mobile Network. This innovative solution combines the core cellular network with Helium Mobile Network coverage and is designed to be deployed globally and leveraged by any operator.

An innovative solution that connects the WiFi and mobile worlds via the SIM card

The use of Helium Mobile Hotspots reduces telecommunications infrastructure costs significantly, with lower capex and opex costs and minimal environmental impact. In addition, it enables a community of individuals and small business owners to deploy Helium Mobile Hotspots and enable Telefónica to accelerate coverage growth while continuing to provide a quality service to its customers.

"We are excited to partner with Telefonica to integrate our Helium Mobile Hotspot technology and expand coverage for their customers. Alongside Telefónica, Nova Labs has solved one of the main challenges for telecommunications and pioneered a solution that supports secure data offload that can be implemented globally," said Amir Haleem, CEO of Nova Labs. "This is a major advancement for the telco industry and will significantly reduce infrastructure cost while maintaining high quality service."

The Helium Mobile Network allows Telefónica to direct and access new coverage where it is most needed. Helium Mobile Hotspots are compact, discrete, easy to install and can be deployed in small spaces, increasing mobile coverage and allowing mobile data to be offloaded from the core network to the Helium Mobile Network. This people-powered solution increases mobile data coverage and is based on a transparent and immutable economic system managed by the Helium Network's blockchain-based technology.

About Telefónica
Telefónica is one of the largest telecommunications service providers in the world. The company offers fixed and mobile connectivity as well as a wide range of digital services for residential and business customers.

With 383 million customers, the company operates in Europe and Latin America.

Telefónica is a 100% listed company and its shares are traded on the Spanish Stock Market and on those in New York and Lima.

About Nova Labs/Helium Mobile
Founded in 2013, Nova Labs is a pioneer in decentralized wireless communications and the founding team behind the open-source Helium Network. Helium Mobile, a Nova Labs business, has a mission to solve the unnecessary fragmentation that plagues connectivity and enable its customers to reduce costs while maintaining high-quality service.