Texas City Integrates Decentralized Wireless Service with Helium Network

The small city of Celina, Texas has become the latest municipality to integrate its municipal Wi-Fi infrastructure with the Helium Network. This integration turned public hotspots into carrier-grade mobile coverage without building a single new cell tower. Existing public Wi-Fi access points at locations like the Celina Public Library and the Ralph O'Dell Senior Center were converted into nodes capable of handling mobile carrier traffic, processing approximately 100 GB of data daily.

The technical backbone relies on Passpoint authentication linked to SIM credentials, allowing devices to connect automatically without users needing to manually join a Wi-Fi network. This integration builds on AT&T's previous partnership with the Helium Network in April 2025, when the telecom giant began offloading some of its mobile traffic to Helium's decentralized infrastructure.

The city of Celina has seen significant growth, increasing by 24.6% between July 2024 and July 2025, adding over 12,700 new residents. The Helium Network now reportedly includes over 42,000 locations across the US, serving more than 2.5 million daily users.

The price of HNT surged between 73% and 100% in the aftermath, with prices moving from lows around $0.21 to highs near $0.44, and the token's market capitalization approaching the $70M to $80M range. Trading volumes spiked by more than 1,000%, with daily figures landing between $38M and $44M.