"Aiming to boost 5G" with cryptocurrency mining devices: US start-ups

Helium, a start-up company founded just eight years ago, will be able to use coverage for 5G (5th generation mobile communication) smartphone users in the United States as a "DIY-type CBRS (civil broadband wireless service) network". Can users be persuaded to pay US $ 1000 (or more) to set up a mobile phone?

Helium is a company that provides IoT networks that utilize blockchain technology, and was founded by current CEO Amir Haleem. In June 2019, the "Helium Hotspot", a mining device for the original cryptocurrency "HNT (helium token)", which will be the "world's first" (the company), will be released. Users who have introduced the device will be provided with wireless LAN from Helium Hotspot and will receive HNT as a reward. The first to be rolled out was 1000 units in Austin, Texas, at US $ 495 per unit. Currently, various manufacturers supply IoT routers for their networks.

With this, Helium has certainly established a mechanism for users to build wireless networks by "DIY". However, there is a big difference between such achievements and the creation of IoT networks that users themselves deploy. In the latter case, users will build a 5G network using a frequency band that does not require a license, but in order to operate smoothly, it is necessary to cooperate with major carriers.

Helium has provided extensive IoT connectivity across US cities and most of the rest of the world. The company uses Helium Hotspot introduced by customers to realize links for LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) sensors and devices. Helium has said that with just 50 to 100 Helium Hotspots, most cities can be covered.

In the United States, Helium Hotspot operates in the license-free 915MHz band and uses the company's proprietary protocol "LongFi" based on the LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) specifications. Each Helium Hotspot can support any LoRaWAN IoT device, with a coverage of approximately 1.5-16km, depending on whether the area is urban or suburban.

Helium is less than two years old, but now more than 46,000 Helium Hotspots are in operation in more than 5,000 cities in 75 countries around the world. Various devices with different bandwidths are now available. The model for EU operates in the 868MHz band, which does not require a license, and the model for China operates in the 470MHz band. You can check which bandwidth Helium Hotspot will run in your country on this page.

Helium's next goal is to deploy customer-deployable CBRS midband 5G gateways to enable operators to leverage Helium's network to increase 5G coverage.

At this time, only the latest iPhones and Android smartphones have access to the 4G CBRS network. Many carriers are aiming to build 5G services in the CBRS band as the next step.

In April 2021, Helium partnered with gateway maker Freedom Fi to announce a 5G (3.5GHz compatible) CBRS gateway to be launched in the second half of 2021. The big difference from the existing Helium Hotspot is that Helium users need to work with one or more US carriers to win HNT.

Helium and Freedom Fi are well aware of this fact.

Helium COO Frank Mong told EE Times that he is "discussing with US Tier 1 carriers" about allowing customers to roam at Helium's 5G hotspots. Stated. "We are currently working with multiple mobile network operators in the United States," FreedomFi said in its 5G gateway FAQ. "We would like to announce at least one of these partnerships before we begin shipping Helium-enabled FreedomFi gateways in September 2021" (FreedomFi).

It will be necessary to keep an eye on which operators, such as AT & T, T-Mobile, Verizon or cable operators and small mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), apply for this, or which companies apply for it. For stakeholders, it's a riskier proposal than supporting IoT devices in a narrow frequency band that doesn't require a license.

Nevertheless, I hope that some kind of agreement will be reached by September 2021.

One of the other major differences is the expected cost of equipment that users will need to install to meet the requirements for 5G offload. To operate as a 5G system, you'll need a US $ 500 Freedom Fi gateway and an antenna.

CBRS antennas are priced in the $ 500- $ 5,000 range per antenna. Users will need at least US $ 1000 for a gateway / antenna combination to achieve 5G offload. It will be higher than the previous US $ 325-429 (Helium Hotspot price). Is there enough people interested in investing more than US $ 1000, even if it can help increase 5G coverage? It is unknown how many users will need to be involved in 5G antenna installation to provide CBRS widely to US users.

[Translation: Mayuko Aoyama, Editing: EE Times Japan]