Helium’s expansion into https://thechainobserver.com/tag/brazil/Brazil is framed as part of a broader DePIN rollout rather than a named “Mambo WiFi” partnership, for which public evidence is lacking. The company’s Latin America strategy centers on Helium Plus and on-chain scaling designed to make large-scale hotspot deployment economically viable.
Solana-enabled scaling and software-first DePIN strategy
Helium’s roadmap emphasizes technical scalability following its April 2023 migration to Solana, presented as essential to support mass adoption. Solana’s reported throughput of more than 1,600 transactions per second and average transaction fees near $0.01 are cited as key enablers for representing hotspots on-chain at very low cost.
The minting of compressed NFTs for hotspots is reported to cost approximately $0.50–$1.00 per device, reducing per-hotspot on-chain overhead and lowering a significant barrier to scaling. This compressed-NFT approach is positioned as a way to cut costs while still enabling large-scale, granular hotspot representation on-chain.
DePIN underpins this model: a network of user-deployed hardware rewarded in native tokens for providing coverage and relaying data. In Helium’s configuration, DePIN is described as a blockchain-backed system in which physical infrastructure nodes earn token incentives for delivering measurable connectivity services.
Helium’s commercial strategy in Latin America prioritizes software-first integration and partnerships rather than single-brand hardware deals. Helium Plus, launched in 2025, allows businesses and public Wi-Fi providers to join the network by upgrading existing routers with software, removing the need for new hardware purchases to increase node density and offload traffic from traditional carriers.
Adoption and usage figures cited in industry reporting point to recent growth momentum. Helium Mobile was reported at 461,500 registered accounts by the end of Q3 2025, a 48% quarter-on-quarter increase, with average daily users reaching 1.2 million, up 35% over the same period. Network size was reported at more than 350,000 hotspots across 80 countries by Q4 2024, and traffic offload in that quarter exceeded 576 TB, representing a 555% quarter-on-quarter increase according to company and industry disclosures.
Commercial collaborations highlighted in reporting include integrations that make decentralized hotspots usable by mainstream mobile subscribers. Examples reference partnerships or interoperability efforts with major carriers in other markets, supporting a narrative of Helium as an overlay that plugs into existing mobile ecosystems rather than a standalone alternative.
The narrative that a specific “Mambo WiFi” partner is central to the Brazil rollout is not supported by available reporting. Industry coverage instead presents Brazil as part of a broader, software-driven DePIN push anchored in Helium Plus and cost-efficient on-chain scaling.
Mario Di Dio, identified as a Helium network executive, summarized the adoption target as: “You reach scale when this becomes invisible.” That remark underlines a strategic goal of making decentralized connectivity function as a behind-the-scenes utility for businesses and consumers rather than a visible, novel endpoint.
Industry reporting stresses regulatory and incumbent resistance as foreseeable headwinds. The decentralized model relies on sustained token incentives and seamless integration with legacy networks, raising questions about long-term economic sustainability, enforcement of local telecom rules and how incumbent providers will respond to a community-powered offload layer.
Helium’s expansion into Brazil is best read as a software-driven DePIN rollout enabled by on-chain cost reductions and Helium Plus’ low-friction integration. For investors and product teams, the practical implication is that real traction will depend on measured hotspot deployment, software adoption by business Wi-Fi providers and the durability of token incentives as the network scales.