The Internet of Things is an $800 billion industry with more than 8.4 billion connected devices online, and spending is expected to reach nearly $1.4 trillion by 2021[1]. Most of these devices need to be connected to the Internet to function properly. However, current solutions such as cellular networks, WiFi and Bluetooth are not optimal: they are too expensive, too power-hungry, or have too limited range.
The Helium Network is a decentralized wireless network that enables devices anywhere in the world to wirelessly connect to the Internet and be geolocated without the need for power-hungry satellite positioning hardware or expensive cellular plans. Powering the Helium network is a blockchain and a native protocol token, Mobile, incentivizing a two-sided market between coverage providers and coverage consumers. With the introduction of blockchain, we inject decentralization into an industry currently controlled by monopolies. The result is that wireless network coverage becomes a commodity, driven by competition and available anywhere in the world at a fraction of the cost today.
Our secure and open source primitives enable developers to quickly and cost-effectively build low-power, connected devices. The Helium network has a wide range of applications and is the first decentralized wireless network.