The price point offered by Helium Mobile’s new Zero plan is sure to gain consumer attention; the service is free.
Helium Mobile also is introducing Cloud Points, a program in which subscribers earn points by allowing anonymized location sharing, referrals and surveys. The points can be redeemed for gift cards.
At this point, the free Helium Mobile Zero plan — which offers 3 GB of data, 300 texts, and 100 minutes of talk — is available by invitation only. Anyone in the United States who is interested can join a waitlist for when the service becomes more broadly available.
The provider offers two other 5G plans. The Air Plan, which costs $15 per month, includes 10GB of data and unlimited talk and text. The Infinity Plan is $30 per month and offers unlimited data, talk, and text.
The Helium Network uses fixed wireless and hotspots to eliminate the need for expansive last-mile wireless infrastructure. The idea is that software already present in the last mile eliminates the need for expensive service-provider-supplied gear.
The focus is on connectivity. “Helium Mobile operates on a bring-your-own-device model, meaning all carrier-unlocked smartphones are compatible with our service,” a company spokesperson told Telecompetitor.
“Customers can easily check their phone settings to verify if their device is unlocked. At this time, we are not offering smartphone sales, allowing us to focus on providing flexible, accessible, and affordable phone plans for all users.”
The Helium Network took a step toward extending the concept last month with the announcement that it will integrate 8,000 nodes in Andrena’s DAWN ecosystem into its network.
The Helium Network says that its free Concierge Service can help customers switch from their current carrier.
