by TIP News
Following the Sept 12, 2024, 100,000 TIP OpenLAN Deployed Devices announcement, the TIP OpenLAN Community is launching a periodic series of case studies highlighting the wide range of verticals served and the considerable impact delivered.
OpenLAN is a unique community-developed, disaggregated Wi-Fi software system offered as free, open-source software. It includes a cloud SDK, Enterprise-grade Access Point (AP) firmware, and Enterprise-Grade POE++ Switch firmware, all designed and validated to work seamlessly together, setting it apart from other Wi-Fi systems.
The critical advantage of OpenWiFi™ lies in its significantly lower total cost of ownership (TCO), driven by the open-sourced core software. This open architecture fosters a competitive and cost-efficient marketplace, reducing the need for substantial R&D investment and lowering the entry barrier for solution providers. Additionally, OpenWiFi™ allows seamless integration of “best-of-breed” components, enabling solution providers to maximize Wi-Fi performance, realize flexibility, achieve scalability, and deliver faster time-to-market.
For more information about TIP’s OpenLAN PG, please visit https://telecominfraproject.com/openlan/
The Helium Network: Reimagining how telecom infrastructure gets deployed.
For decades, telecom operators have followed the same formula for building coverage. It starts with network planners designing coverage layers that specify where radios need to be placed, either in or around certain locations. Next, site acquisition teams negotiate access to real estate (e.g., a patch of ground, the top of a water tower, the rooftop of a building, the ceiling in a big venue) where a radio and supporting equipment can be installed. After securing the site, the operator pays for the ‘make ready’ work which includes all utility preparation needed to support the installation of a telecom radio, such as power, internet connectivity, and physical infrastructure for mounting and securing the site.
In 2024, AT&T projected $4.7 billion in site lease costs alone, according to their annual report, and that doesn’t include the cost of acquiring those leases or the make ready work for those sites. Accounting for Verizon and T-Mobile, their annual cost of leases for wireless coverage in the US is roughly $15 billion. Adding to these expenses is a cottage industry of businesses offering to help property owners maximize their lease value from telecom operators.
When you combine these costs with the industry push for more and more sites to support 5G speeds, you have to ask if there is a different way to deploy wireless coverage.
The Power of Decentralization and Community Ownership:
The Helium Network demonstrates that the current model is not the only option. Helium’s innovative model allows individuals and businesses to easily deploy wireless coverage with devices called Hotspots, effectively becoming micro-operators within a larger network. In return for their work to build and operate the network, community deployers earn cryptocurrency which can be used to send more data through the network, pay for a cellular phone plan on the network, or traded on crypto exchanges. Crypto is uniquely suitable here because it is the most cost-efficient way to transfer value and requires no central actor to ensure deployers are paid what they are owed. This approach not only adds capacity and expands coverage cost-effectively but also fosters a sense of shared responsibility for connectivity.
Recently, the Helium Network introduced support for a new type of radio that creates coverage using Wi-Fi and is based on the TIP OpenWiFi™ project. OpenWiFi™ enabled the Helium Network to quickly go from concept to production by providing access point software, a cloud network controller, and support for carrier offload technologies like Passpoint, straight out of the box. In addition, the vendors’ OpenWiFi™ ecosystem further accelerated the Helium Network effort by having pre-certified OpenWiFi™ compatible radios ready for production. In less than a year, the Helium Network has added over 16,000 OpenWiFi™-based radios.
Scaling Impact Through Carrier Offload:
Helium’s Carrier Offload program further illustrates the Network’s capabilities and potential for widespread adoption. By partnering with Helium, major U.S. carriers can offload cellular data traffic onto the Helium Network, enhancing both consumer coverage and network efficiency. In two months since launching the service, over a million phones in the U.S. have used the Helium Network and offload has reached 85 terabytes of data daily.
By using the Helium Network to offload data in densely populated areas, operators can delay the need for costly infrastructure updates and new deployments, effectively extending the useful life of the CAPEX and OPEX they already have deployed.
The Helium Network carrier offload program showcases the viability of the decentralized community approach to augment wireless coverage and break the cycle of escalating costs for operators.
Driving Positive Social Impact:
Beyond the economic benefits, the Helium Network model also creates opportunities for positive social impact. This is best demonstrated by the collaboration with Telefónica in Mexico. The solution, implemented with select customers in Mexico City and Oaxaca, will extend Telefónica’s coverage and enable offloading of mobile data to the Helium Mobile Network and improve overall mobile coverage service for customers.
In addition, it enables a community of individuals and small business owners to deploy Helium Mobile Hotspots and enable Telefónica to accelerate coverage growth while continuing to provide a quality service to its customers. By providing access to affordable and reliable internet, the Helium Network facilitates:
- Enhanced Educational Opportunities: Students gain access to online resources and the ability to participate in remote learning, bridging educational gaps.
- Economic Empowerment: Businesses can connect with customers, expand their reach, and participate in the digital economy.
- Improved Healthcare Access: Communities gain access to telemedicine and online health resources.
- Social Inclusion: Individuals can connect with loved ones and participate in online communities, fostering social cohesion.
OpenWiFi™ and Helium: Shaping the Future of Connectivity:
The Helium Network, powered by OpenWiFi™, exemplifies the transformative power of community-based networks. By embracing open and decentralized solutions, we can create a more inclusive and connected world where everyone has access to the opportunities the internet provides. As the Helium Network continues to expand, it serves as a testament to the potential for OpenWiFi™ and TIP to bring disruptive economics to telecom infrastructure and to bridge the digital divide and empower communities globally.