- 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.
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SOURCE Nova Labs Inc.