Crypto-powered wireless phone service Helium Mobile is now available nationwide following an initial trial launch in Miami. Helium Mobile provides cellular phone service across the decentralized Helium network with support from T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network, and lets subscribers earn crypto tokens through everyday use.
According to Nova Labs, the startup that includes the original founders of the eponymous network, Helium Mobile offers unlimited talk, text, and data use for $20 per month with no contract. Users will have to bring their own phone to the network, but the service supports an array of devices that run either iOS 14 or newer or Android 11 or newer.
Helium Mobile first debuted in Miami in August, as Nova Labs picked the crypto hub as the testing ground for the service—and offered an attractive $5/month unlimited plan.
The $20/month unlimited option available across the United States is the same service and plan that debuted in Miami, albeit at the standard ongoing price. Both new and existing subscribers located in Miami can still get the same service for $5/month, a Helium Mobile representative confirmed to Decrypt.
Even at $20 per month, Helium Mobile is substantially cheaper than most unlimited mobile phone service plans in the United States. The company previously advertised a $25/month plan before the Miami rollout began.
It also has a couple of novel features. As mentioned, the service is built around the Helium 5G network, which is powered by thousands of user-operated nodes deployed across the country. Users who run a node are rewarded in crypto tokens for sharing service with nearby subscribers; Helium’s tokens are minted on the Solana blockchain network following this year’s migration.
The company’s users can also earn tokens for helping support the network. If they choose to share data on network coverage—which is completely optional—then they’ll earn MOBILE tokens, which Nova Labs said can be used to help pay for the service.
Edited by Stacy Elliott.
