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Event Notes - September 2, 2026

Helium Community Call: HeliumOS, Deployer Tiers, and IoT Next Steps

The monthly Helium community call covered the HeliumOS launch, HIP 150 rollout, carrier and deployment activity, and Nova Labs' search for a focused operator for the IoT network.

SourceDiscord community call recording
Duration66m 51s
ParticipantsNova Labs, Advisory Council members, and community

Executive Summary

  • HeliumOS is live as a business-facing software platform: It combines subscriber operations, real-time Wi-Fi offload control, network analytics, Passpoint tooling, and Helium Network integration for carriers, MVNOs, retail brands, and large venues. Affiniti Ventures, the company behind Noble Mobile and Helium Mobile, is its first announced customer.
  • Nova Labs is actively looking for a long-term operator for the IoT network, but no transition is decided or signed: Joey Hiller's same-day Discord update reported 147,000 gateways connected during the preceding 24 hours. The search is intended to give IoT a team focused on operations, growth, and deployer needs, with continuity for existing solutions treated as a priority.
  • HIP 150 is deployed, while the tier application process is still being built: At the current $0.10-per-GB payer rate, the broad target minimum is $0.08 per rewardable GB. Higher location multipliers require a commercial agreement, carrier approval, verified ownership, and a custodial reward arrangement; placement inside an expansion zone is an indicator, not a guarantee.
  • Post-T-Mobile carrier work continues: Nova said direct-interconnect conversations remain active and may center on tier-qualified deployments. A Mexico City MNO field trial is using WOX, Brazil has two field trials planned for Q4, and Nova is also pursuing additional buyers for the Mexico network.
  • The call reported a signed deployment backlog of about 30,000 access points across roughly 3,000 sites: These are closed opportunities waiting to be onboarded, not 30,000 live access points. One signed deployment was described as 5,000 to 6,000 access points across about 22 sites, illustrating why conversion from contract to active traffic can take months.
  • HIP 149 has moved into implementation and oversight: PoC is retired on Mobile and IoT, the supplemental mint is operating, and the Advisory Council is reviewing its use. This was an implementation confirmation rather than a change to the established mechanics; the HIP 149 FAQ and July 7 town hall notes provide the fuller background.

What Happened

The September community call arrived one day after the public launch of HeliumOS and two days after T-Mobile offload through Ameriband stopped across the Helium Network. The discussion connected those developments to a broader operating plan: sell a software and network platform to telecom customers, use HIP 150 to make valuable deployments more sustainable, continue direct carrier work, and move IoT toward a dedicated operator.

Helium Mobile and Noble Mobile

Mario Di Dio described the sale of the Helium Mobile consumer business to Affiniti Ventures as essentially complete. Helium Mobile support questions now belong in Noble Mobile's support channels rather than Nova's former Reddit and Discord channels.

The commercial relationship continues in a different form. Affiniti Ventures is HeliumOS's first announced customer, using the carrier-enablement stack for subscriber and identity operations while Noble Mobile continues to use Helium Network offload. This makes the handoff both a separation of the consumer business and an early customer reference for Nova's business-facing platform.

HIP 149 Status

Marc Nijdam gave a short implementation recap: Proof of Coverage has ended on Mobile and IoT, the 36-month operations and growth supplement is active, and the Advisory Council is overseeing use of the supplement. A council member said the group has discussed HNT market conditions and Nova's options for monetizing supplement HNT, while details remain subject to its confidentiality obligations.

This was a status update rather than a new design for the supplement or council. For the mint schedule, deployer backstop, oversight process, and IoT impact, see What Is HIP 149?

HIP 150 and Deployer Tiers

HIP 150 adjusts the deployer economics introduced under HIP 149 in two important ways. First, it raises the broad target minimum from 50% to 80% of the network's payer rate. With the payer rate at $0.10 per GB, that means an $0.08 target minimum per rewardable GB. Second, it permits higher reward multipliers for locations that carriers value more.

Nova also contributes the 24% Service Provider portion of Mobile rewards to data-transfer deployers. This moves the baseline Mobile data allocation from 70% to 94% before any backstop mint is needed. The result is a larger general data-reward pool, but the $0.08 figure remains a target minimum under the proposal's mechanics rather than a fixed promise for every epoch.

The network-wide rate reached 25.57 cents per rewardable GB for the August 31 UTC epoch, but that was not a new HIP 150 target or guaranteed rate. HNT appreciation, the larger data-reward pool, and fewer rewardable bytes after T-Mobile offload ended combined to produce it. The earnings-per-GB FAQ provides the day-by-day data and calculation.

How a Location Qualifies

The call made clear that higher tiers are not assigned automatically from a venue label or map position. The multiplier is part of a commercial agreement among Nova, the carrier, and the deployer. Nova must be able to verify who controls the deployment and where it is located, which is why qualifying deployments enter a contract and use a custodial wallet arrangement.

Existing Brownfield and Helium Plus partners can contact their Nova account representative. A public intake process for other deployers was still being designed across product, sales, and engineering, with more guidance expected after the call. Helium World expansion zones indicate places where carrier demand may support a multiplier, but they do not guarantee approval or a specific tier.

Mario acknowledged the fairness concern raised by deployers who may not know they need to apply. He said Nova intends to publicize the process broadly and is considering independent field benchmarking as another source of evidence. That work was described as early. Carrier approval, deployment value, traffic, and credible coverage remain part of the decision.

Why Existing Deployments Might Earn More

A community member asked why a carrier would pay more for a hotspot that is already installed. Mario's answer was that Helium first had to prove network scale and quality at a general rate; tiering is the next contractual step for locations that carriers value more. Nova may need to withhold a deployment from offload if the carrier will not recognize the higher value, but the call did not announce a standardized negotiation or removal policy.

The speakers also warned against equating one hotspot inside a high-value venue with complete venue coverage. A single access point in a stadium may be useful, but it does not allow a carrier to report that the stadium is covered. Tier definitions therefore need to account for both location value and the amount of useful coverage delivered.

For the full allocation, multiplier, custody, and notice mechanics, see What Is HIP 150?

Carrier and Deployment Update

After the August 31 removal of T-Mobile offload through Ameriband, Mario said conversations about a direct interconnect remain active. He expected any renewed arrangement to take time and suggested that it could be tied to selected deployment tiers rather than immediate network-wide access. No replacement T-Mobile agreement was announced.

Mexico and Brazil

Nova reported a Mexico City field trial with an MNO using WOX, the Wi-Fi Offload Experience component of HeliumOS, to help determine when traffic should move to Wi-Fi. A second Mexico trial was described with a major MVNO in its retail locations. The team is seeking additional data buyers alongside Movistar.

Movistar traffic was described as steady but constrained by subscriber density in the target zones and by handset support for remotely delivered Passpoint profiles. Apple profile support was scheduled for the beginning of Q4. The call did not give a firm date for broader device coverage or name the MNO and MVNO involved in the new trials.

Two Brazil field trials were said to be scheduled for Q4 through the local operating model involving Mambo WiFi. Mario estimated that the international effort consumes a small share of Nova's resources relative to U.S. work, allowing the company to keep testing overseas demand without shifting its primary focus away from the U.S.

Signed Pipeline Versus Live Coverage

The sales update reported approximately 30,000 access points across roughly 3,000 sites in signed, closed-won opportunities that still need to be onboarded. The distinction is important: the backlog represents contracted or accepted opportunities, not currently active access points or guaranteed future traffic.

One deal was described as 5,000 to 6,000 access points across about 22 sites. Each site still requires technical and operational onboarding, so large contracts can take several months to become active. The call also described access points entering the backlog at roughly 1.5 times the number leaving it during the measured period.

Some earlier opportunities left because Nova could not deliver the two-carrier proposition expected by venues. The current sales pitch is based on one active U.S. carrier and today's reward economics, which Mario expects to reduce that source of backlog attrition. Whether the signed pipeline converts more consistently will need to be measured over subsequent months.

What HeliumOS Is

HeliumOS is a software and services platform for businesses that provide connectivity. It is distinct from the Helium Network itself: the network is physical, community-deployed wireless infrastructure, while HeliumOS is the layer used to operate subscribers, evaluate connections, analyze network performance, and integrate Wi-Fi offload.

The platform groups existing and newly packaged capabilities under one commercial umbrella:

  • Carrier Enablement Platform: Subscriber management, billing, SIM activation, provisioning, compliance, support, and carrier integrations for MVNOs and other operators.
  • WOX: Real-time visibility and control over user sessions, including whether a connection should move onto a particular Wi-Fi network.
  • HeliumAI: No-code and agentic access to coverage, quality, and deployment data, including dashboard generation and integration into a customer's own AI tooling.
  • Wi-Fi Toolkit: Passpoint and supporting SDK infrastructure that businesses can embed in their consumer apps.
  • Helium Network Integration: Access to Helium's community-deployed network as an offload and coverage option.

Customers can use individual components or combine them into a solution. Mario compared the offer to an MVNE with an offload network available from the start. He said Nova has several interested MVNOs in its pipeline, but estimated that converting a new MVNO can take 12 to 18 months depending on its size. No additional HeliumOS customer was announced during the call.

HeliumOS is not positioned as the routine management dashboard for individual small deployers. The call did describe a large-venue use case in which a casino or similar property could host WOX locally and control which sessions remain on Wi-Fi. That is a business deployment of HeliumOS, not a replacement for the tools hotspot owners use today.

Where the IoT Network Goes Next

Nova Labs is looking for a long-term operator, custodian, and growth partner for the Helium IoT Network. The Advisory Council previously recommended that Nova focus its resources on Mobile and transition IoT to another capable party. Nova accepted that direction, and the call described the process as divestiture and a handoff rather than installing a replacement operator within Helium. Joey Hiller is leading discussions with potential operators.

As of September 2, no operator had been selected and no transfer agreement had been signed. Joey said on the call that several strong candidates were already in the pipeline and that the same-day public update had produced additional inbound interest. The selection process is placing particular weight on continuity and support for solutions already using the network. No successor payment or incentive model was announced.

Joey's official Discord update at 11:09 AM ET / 8:09 AM PT / 15:09 UTC provided a snapshot of current activity: 147,000 gateways had connected during the preceding 24 hours, the network was handling paid traffic for major LPWAN operators, and new organizations were continuing to join. He also described plans to onboard a top-50 U.S. city later that week. On the call, he cited a flood-detection deployment in Mexico and the same municipal work as examples of real IoT use.

At the same time, the post acknowledged that gateway counts have declined since HIP 149 ended PoC rewards. Joey attributed much of the decline to PoC-focused operators disconnecting, while noting that useful gateways are also being lost. His argument for a dedicated operator is therefore not that IoT has already ended; it is that the network needs a team whose primary job is to preserve useful coverage, support deployers and solution providers, and grow paid use.

Nova is asking LoRaWAN operators, LNS providers, hotspot deployers, and product builders to describe what they need from the next operator and to refer qualified candidates. The earlier goal of completing a transition before the end of 2026 remains a target, not an announced handoff date.

For hotspot owners deciding what the end of PoC means in practice, see why an online IoT hotspot may earn almost nothing and what to consider before turning it off.

Practical Takeaways

  • Mobile deployers: The broad HIP 150 reward changes are active. Existing Brownfield or Helium Plus partners seeking a higher location multiplier should contact their Nova representative; everyone else is waiting for the public intake process.
  • IoT operators and builders: The network remains active while Nova evaluates new operators. Requirements, concerns, and qualified operator referrals can be raised with Joey Hiller in the official Helium Discord IoT channels.
  • Prospective HeliumOS customers: The platform is aimed at carriers, MVNOs, retail brands, and large venues, with the official HeliumOS site providing product details and a contact path.
  • Community safety: The call opened and closed with a scam warning. Helium team members said they do not initiate private conversations about tokens or hotspot onboarding; unexpected direct messages should be verified in public channels.
  • Future calls: Another monthly community call is planned for October, and Nova intends to hold a separate token-holder or investor-relations-style quarterly call in Q4. Dates were not announced.

Numbers and Claims to Track

  • Call duration: 66m 51s.
  • HeliumOS launched publicly September 1, 2026; Affiniti Ventures is its first announced customer.
  • HIP 150's target minimum is 80% of the payer rate, or $0.08 per rewardable GB at the current $0.10 payer rate.
  • Nova contributes its 24% Mobile Service Provider allocation to data-transfer deployers, raising the baseline Mobile data allocation from 70% to 94%.
  • Higher reward multipliers require a commercial agreement and carrier approval; an expansion-zone location alone is not approval.
  • A public tier-intake process was still being built at the time of the call.
  • Direct-interconnect discussions with T-Mobile were described as ongoing, but no new agreement was announced.
  • One Mexico City MNO field trial is using WOX; a second trial involves a major MVNO's retail locations.
  • Two Brazil field trials were said to be scheduled for Q4.
  • Approximately 30,000 access points across about 3,000 sites were described as signed, closed-won backlog awaiting onboarding.
  • One signed deployment was described as 5,000 to 6,000 access points across approximately 22 sites.
  • New access points were said to be entering the backlog at roughly 1.5 times the number leaving it.
  • Joey Hiller's September 2 update reported 147,000 IoT gateways connected during the preceding 24 hours.
  • Several potential IoT operators were described as being in the pipeline, but no operator was selected and no agreement was signed.
  • Nova estimated a 12-to-18-month sales cycle for a new MVNO, depending on its size.

Key Themes

  • Nova is packaging network access and telecom operations as one business platform rather than selling Wi-Fi offload as an isolated product.
  • HIP 150 improves broad deployer economics immediately, but higher location tiers remain a carrier-negotiated commercial process.
  • Verified ownership and contracts are being used to control location fraud, creating a tradeoff between permissionless participation and tier eligibility.
  • The deployment backlog is commercially meaningful only if signed locations can be onboarded and generate sustained traffic.
  • International expansion is being pursued through trials and local partners while U.S. carrier recovery remains the central Mobile priority.
  • IoT still has substantial active infrastructure and real applications, but its long-term operating structure is unresolved.
  • The IoT transition is being framed as a search for dedicated stewardship, while PoC removal is already testing whether utility alone can retain enough useful coverage.

Open Questions and Follow-Ups

  • When the public tier application process opens, what evidence deployers must submit, and how carrier approval decisions will be communicated.
  • How quickly signed backlog converts into active access points, transferred data, and recurring network revenue.
  • Whether direct discussions with T-Mobile produce a new tier-based or venue-specific interconnect.
  • Whether the Mexico and Brazil trials convert into named, commercial data buyers.
  • Which additional HeliumOS customers move from pipeline to contract, and how HeliumOS software revenue translates into greater use of the Helium Network.
  • Who becomes the long-term IoT operator, under what ownership, operating, and commercial structure, and whether a transition can be completed before the end of 2026.
  • How the next IoT operator preserves useful gateway coverage and support while PoC-based participation continues to decline.
  • Whether the reported 147,000 recently connected IoT gateways stabilizes, declines further, or grows under a new operator.
  • Dates and agendas for the planned October community call and Q4 token-holder update.

Sources

These notes and the transcript were prepared with AI assistance. Sources are listed for verification.