Telefonica and decentralised wireless communication technologies provider Nova Labs have partnered to launch Helium Mobile Hotspots in Mexico. Telefonica said the solution, implemented with customers in Mexico City and Oaxaca, will extend Telefonica's coverage and enable the offloading of mobile data to the Helium Mobile Network, improving overall mobile coverage service for customers.

Enhancing Connectivity with Hotspots

Reportedly, Telefonica and Nova Labs, invested in by Telefonica Ventures, Telefonica's Corporate Venture Capital vehicle for strategic investments, have built a solution based on the OpenWiFi standard developed by the Telecom Infra Project (TIP). This solution enables Movistar customers in Mexico to access the Helium Mobile Network using their Movistar SIM cards for authentication.

Seamless Integration and Cost Savings

In a press release, Telefonica said Helium Mobile Hotspots are connected to its proprietary management system, which controls its customers' automatic access to the Helium Mobile Network for mobile data sessions and maintains full control and monitors hotspot status before allowing access and downloading data over the Helium Mobile Network. The solution combines the core cellular network with Helium Mobile Network coverage and is designed to be deployed globally and leveraged by any operator.

Telefonica highlighted that the use of Helium Mobile Hotspots significantly reduces telecommunications infrastructure costs, enabling a community of individuals and small business owners to deploy Helium Mobile Hotspots and enable Telefonica to accelerate coverage growth while continuing to provide quality service to its customers.

"Telefonica is exploring ways to expand coverage through innovative, lower-cost, cooperative-based solutions. This program in Mexico is critical to evaluating the performance and customer satisfaction of this solution and its associated costs. Our expectation, if successful, is to incorporate thisour portfolio of mobile networks in the different countries of the region," Telefonica said.