Key Points

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a blockchain protocol for p2p data sharing over LoRaWan 

As the number of IoT devices continues to grow, keeping them all connected to the internet in an affordable way has proven difficult which is why Napster’s Co-creator Shawn Fanning, Sproutling founder Chris Bruce and Amir Haleem set out to build the word’s first peer-to-peer wireless network.  Their company, Helium has created its own hotspot that is used to power the People’s Network. In addition to providing IoT devices with connectivity, the Helium hotspot also rewards its users with a new cryptocurrency that can be used to offset the initial cost of the device.

To learn more about the Helium hotspot and the peer-to-peer wireless network it powers, TechRadar Pro spoke with Helium’s CEO Amir Haleem.

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What inspired you and Helium’s other co-founders to create the world’s first peer-to-peer wireless network?

We had a few friends that were building hardware businesses. Everything from counting foot traffic in retail buildings, to connected baby monitors. 

They all had the same problem when it came to getting data back to the internet - either you needed a phone nearby, or the sensor itself needed a cellular plan. It was pretty impossible to scale any kind of sensor-based business when the cellular connectivity alone was going to cost $30/mo or more per sensor. What was needed was a low-cost and energy efficient network that was designed specifically for these sub-voice devices, like sensors. 

Shawn and I decided to find a way to remove these barriers and this ultimately led us to start building The People’s Network - a low-cost network for IoT that works everywhere, even outdoors.

Who is your target market? What kind of customers will be able to benefit from these products?

Helium is very much like Airbnb or Lyft. We have created a two-sided market. On the supply side, Helium Hotspot owners could be anyone with Internet access at home. We call them Hotspot Hosts or members of The People’s Network. They own and operate the Helium Hotspots themselves, which means they provide wireless coverage for IoT devices surrounding them using LongFi technology. 

LongFi combines the popular LoRaWAN open wireless standard with the Helium blockchain. The Helium Hotspot also serves as a full node of the blockchain, and mines the Helium cryptocurrency (HNT) for proving its location and coverage to the network. The Helium blockchain is the engine that drives both the health of the network and the economic system that makes both sides of the marketplace work. 

The demand side of our business are users who benefit from the network. This ranges from IoT hobbyists to large corporations with the need to connect small sensors to the internet. Some examples of companies who are already enjoying the benefits of our network include beverage delivery service company Nestle’s ReadyRefresh, agricultural tech company Agulus, and Conserv, a collections-focused environmental monitoring platform that provides widespread coverage to art and cultural collections to its clients.

Potential Value Opportunities

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