T-Mobile is teaming up with Helium () founders Nova Labs to assist in the launch of a new 5G mobile service allowing users to earn cryptocurrency.
Nova Labs and T-Mobile have signed a multi-year agreement as the decentralized wireless communications company plans to launch Helium Mobile to expand services on the Helium 5G network, which is built on its blockchain technology.
Under the agreement, subscribers to Helium Mobile will have access to both the Helium Network and the T-Mobile 5G network.
Says Amir Haleem, CEO of Nova Labs and founder of Helium,
“Nova Labs is committed to building out a decentralized network. Our new agreement with T-Mobile gives our subscribers nationwide 5G coverage and enables us to offer mobile products and services that use both networks. 5G infrastructure can be accessible to anyone at a much faster pace by enabling the community to help build and use the Helium network, especially in hard-to-reach places.”
Dan Thygesen, senior vice president of T-Mobile Wholesale, says Helium Mobile is advancing in an area of the telecommunications industry that is in its early stages.
“T-Mobile is excited to support Nova Labs’ innovation in this new crypto-powered space by enabling their mobility on the nation’s largest, fastest, and most reliable nationwide 5G network.”
Helium’s mobile service is expected to launch early next year and provide nationwide coverage in the United States. Subscribers will have the option to earn MOBILE tokens as rewards for sharing their data related to the quality of the signal strength and the location of dead spots and save money on their cellular plans.
The Helium Network launched in 2019 to support the Internet of Things (IoT). There are more than 900,000 hotspots around the world, according to the company. There are more than 2,500 Helium hotspots with 5G service in nearly 900 US cities.