Web3 Revolution: How Decentralized Telecom Empowers Small Businesses

Yigit Taha OZTURK — Sun, 25 May 2025 18:45:12 +0000

Legacy telecom infrastructure has long posed challenges — high costs, spotty coverage, and rigid expansion models. But with decentralization, a new era is emerging, one where even a local store can contribute to and benefit from global network infrastructure.

Speaking at Consensus 2025 in Toronto, Frank Mong, COO of Nova Labs, explained how decentralized networks like Helium are reshaping the industry. Small businesses such as cafes, bars, and convenience stores can now host wireless hotspots and generate passive income.

Replacing Towers With Shared Wi-Fi

“It costs about $300,000 to build one 5G tower, and you need one on every block,” Mong said. “Instead of raising mobile plan costs, what if people simply share their Wi-Fi securely and large companies like AT&T tap into that data?”

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With 95,272 mobile hotspots and 284,053 active IoT nodes, the Helium Network has become a real-world application of DePIN technology. The U.S. currently leads in hotspot density.

Major Partnerships Fuel Expansion

In 2024, Telefónica partnered with Nova Labs to enhance coverage in underserved areas. In April 2025, AT&T joined in, allowing their users to automatically connect to the Helium network when within coverage.

Mong stated, “What we achieved in the U.S. and Mexico should be replicated globally,” signaling Nova Labs’ ambition to scale partnerships across regions.

What was once a technical vision is now a business opportunity for both mom-and-pop shops and multinational telecoms. Decentralized physical infrastructure networks are not just Web3 buzzwords — they are building a smarter, fairer, and more cost-effective future for telecom.

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SEC Sues Nova Labs!

Yigit Taha OZTURK — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 11:00:23 +0000

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a lawsuit against Nova Labs, the company behind the open-source Helium Network (HNT). This lawsuit comes just days before SEC chair and known crypto critic Gary Gensler steps down on January 20.

Details of the Lawsuit

The SEC alleges that Nova Labs sold unregistered investment products, including electronic devices called “Hotspots”, which mine the company’s cryptocurrency Helium (HNT), and a program called Discovery Mapping, which allows users to trade their private data for crypto assets.

The SEC also accused Nova Labs of misleading potential investors by claiming that major companies such as Lime, Nestlé, and Salesforce were using or relying on its wireless network, allegations the SEC states are untrue.

“Unregistered Securities” in the Crypto World

The term “unregistered securities” is well-known in the crypto world, with several similar lawsuits brought during Gary Gensler’s tenure at the SEC.

However, a significant win for the industry came in July 2023 when the court ruled that XRP’s programmatic sales on digital asset exchanges did not qualify as unregistered securities. Despite this, the SEC quickly filed an appeal to contest the decision.

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SEC’s Future Under New Leadership

With new leadership set to take over at the SEC on January 20, the agency may reportedly reconsider some existing crypto enforcement cases.

According to a January 15 Reuters report, the SEC may review and potentially drop certain cases in the days following the transition.

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