By Claus Hetting, WiFi NOW CEO & Chairman
‘Wi-Fi offload’ – meaning phones connecting automatically to Wi-Fi networks instead of (or in addition to) cellular – has existed in various forms for more than a decade but now convergence pioneers Helium are seeking to redefine the category: HeliumOS is the OS ‘designed for the business of connectivity’, the company says – and includes all the functions and features operators need to capitalise on bringing Wi-Fi into their connectivity fabric.
Excellent Wi-Fi can be found in nearly any public (or corporate) venue – but accessing it often neither automatic nor even possible. Now connectivity and convergence pioneers Helium are launching the platform that it says will give any service provider and any venue the opportunity to use existing Wi-Fi networks to boost indoor mobile coverage. The case for ‘Wi-Fi offload’ – meaning phones connecting to quality Wi-Fi indoors – has been a compelling proposition for years, but making it work reliably and at scale is another matter. Helium says it has cracked the challenge with HeliumOS.
GSMA says network operators spend close to US$200 billion a year building and maintaining wireless infrastructure, yet 70–80% of mobile use happens indoors where cellular networks degrade fastest, and where operators have the least visibility. “It’s a global industrial problem: The capacity carriers need already exists across Wi-Fi networks, but until now there’s been no single platform to see that connectivity, control it, and put it to work,” Helium says.
On the operator side, Helium says the new HeliumOS platform brings the trust, visibility, and control that carriers require for Wi-Fi to be incorporated into a carrier-grade wireless service fabric. Part of HeliumOS is a BSS/OSS platform for launching and growing a converged wireless business, while operators also get full agentic AI-based visibility into service analytics (including QoS metrics) via HeliumAI.
For more information on the drivers for indoor coverage, mobile/Wi-Fi convergence, and the inner workings of HeliumOS, don’t miss our Industry Update Webinar: Next generation indoor coverage with ‘Wi-Fi offload’ & HeliumOS on September 8 – go here now to register and participate.
The secret sauce: Real-time intelligent session control
A critical and unique part of the offering is what Helium calls the ‘Wi-Fi Offload Experience’ or WOX: Real time intelligent session control that decides whether redirection to a Wi-Fi connection should happen based on quality metrics. While automatic Wi-Fi offload has existed for a decade, this is the first time that a solution exist for visibility, control, and monitoring capabilities in a package bundled for carriers.
“WOX is the unique intelligent glue that brings the converged carrier-grade network together – while the remaining components of HeliumOS are the operational features required to create an end-to-end solution. For decades, connectivity meant building and owning the largest network of macro cell towers. The future of wireless is distributed infrastructure and convergence, with cellular, satellite, and Wi-Fi working together, intelligently routing traffic across every available network to deliver the best experience for users where connectivity is needed the most. Helium is delivering solutions for that and they’re already operational in the field,” says Mario Di Dio, CEO of Helium.
HeliumOS is natively integrated with the Helium Network, a ‘people-built’ wireless network spanning tens of thousands of access points across the United States with an expanding footprint in Mexico and Brazil. Helium says the Helium Network already operates at carrier scale, serving millions of users daily, enabling Wi-Fi offload for major carriers, and proving its reliability during large public events like Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl.
Get all the details on the newly launched HeliumOS at 7 pm CEST / 10 pm PDT this Wednesday September 8 as we host Helium and their partners for a deep-dive industry update webinar. Register here to receive notifications and participate.
/Claus.
