Block 12 – Helium Can’t see images? Web Version
Welcome to Block 12
Our Block newsletter is back and better than ever with very exciting updates from the Helium team. From our official launch in Austin to new team members, developer updates, latest press coverage, and more, we have a lot to cover in Block 12. Enjoy!
The People’s Network launched in Austin
We did it. After years of hard work, The People’s Network successfully went live in our launch city Austin. To celebrate the launch, we hosted an event the night of August 1st where customers could come to pick up the very first Hotspots on the network, catch live demos, and enjoy our signature Helium Honeybadger blocktails. We had a great turnout and are very thankful for the overwhelming support we’ve received from the Austin community. Our launch was also featured in Helium’s trial balloon: A new peer-to-peer network goes live in Austin by Guillermo Jimenez of Decrypt.
Since the event, those who picked up went home, plugged their Hotspots in, and started providing coverage while mining Helium tokens. We now have over 120 Hotspots on the network with more being shipped out this week to those in Austin who couldn’t make it to our event. And unlike the traditional telco model (which can take years and serious capital to build a network), it took The People’s Network less than a week to blanket the Austin metro area!
Initial Hotspot coverage in Austin since launch
This is just the beginning of building a truly decentralized wireless network owned by the people and the enthusiasm following the Austin launch is at an all-time high. We’ve now sold Hotspots in over 263 US cities with 84% of US states represented. If you want to join the movement, now is your chance to participate early by ordering your Hotspot today for our nationwide rollout.
Where to find Helium next
Meet us in Chicago at Voice of Blockchain
We’re heading to the Windy City on September 30th and October 1st to participate in the Voice of Blockchain conference. If you’re in the area, come check out our booth and hear our COO Frank Mong speak on the economics of decentralizing internet access with Helium. We would love to meet our local community and Hotspot owners while we’re in town!
Vote SXSW: Can the telcos be disrupted by an 11-year-old?
We need your help. If you want to see Helium at SXSW 2020 in Austin, upvote our Panel Picker proposal on how decentralization is enabling anyone to challenge the telco industry status quo, even an 11-year-old. The panel features an awesome lineup of speakers including Aditya Chandran Arul of Emrit, Jill Carlson of Slow Ventures, Teena Maddox of TechRepublic, and our very own CEO, Amir Haleem.
Ramping up for nationwide shipping
Now that the network is live, our engineering and product teams are working hard to ensure the network is stable and the user experience is seamless before we expand coverage beyond Austin. In addition, we’re ramping up manufacturing to get our first batch of nationwide Hotspots ready for October shipping.
iOS and Android App now available
The Helium Hotspot app is now available! With the app, anyone can create a secure wallet for their tokens and easily setup their Hotspot in minutes. Check it out on iOS and Android, and feel free to share feedback as we continue to iterate and make improvements.
Hello new Helium hires!
The Helium team is growing. We’re thrilled to welcome 5 team members to the Helium family in our new SF headquarters. Say hello to Brian Bussiere, Chad Brading, Eri Noguchi, Jeff Han, and Kent Williams. If you’re interested in joining us, keep an eye out for postings on our Careers page and get in touch at jobs@helium.com.
In case you missed it…
Helium Hotspot 101
Why should I deploy a Hotspot, what are the setup requirements, and how much will it cost me? We have answers to your common questions in our Helium Hotspot 101 blog.
How Helium Hotspots Earn Tokens
Dive deeper into the breakdown of how Hotspot owners earn Helium tokens for building The People’s Network here.
Refer 5 friends, get a free Hotspot
We launched a Referral Program because The People’s Network is better together. Treat your friends to $50 off their Hotspot and get a free Hotspot when 5 of your friends make a purchase. Learn more here.
Helium
San Francisco, CA
