Baicells Partners with FreedomFi to Certify Select CBRS Base Stations for Helium Cryptocurrency Mining

PLANO, Texas, Jan. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Baicells Technologies, a leading global telecom manufacturer for LTE and 5G NR hardware solutions, announced today that it is working with partners FreedomFi and CalChip Connect to certify its lineup of cellular base stations with the FreedomFi Gateway. Through this partnership Nova 430i, Nova 430, Nova 436Q and Neutrino 430 base stations will become plug-and-play compatible with the FreedomFi Gateway to allow operators to mine Helium Network Tokens (HNT) by offloading cellular data for national telecom carriers. The first device in this lineup will be the outdoor Baicells Nova 430i which will become broadly available for purchase through CalChipConnect.com starting April 1st, 2022. 

"We believe Helium has the potential to become the largest decentralized 5G network in the world powered by HNT," said Frank Mong, COO at Helium. "It is exciting to see prominent radio equipment providers like Baicells partnering with FreedomFi to expand cellular base station options for early deployers of Helium 5G infrastructure."

Baicells Nova 430i is an outdoor cellular base station with an integrated sector antenna, operating in the CBRS spectrum band. It is capable of providing secure cellular coverage to CBRS-compatible devices at a range of up to two miles, downlink speeds of up to 220Mbps and support for up to 96 simultaneous cellular device connections. The base station is expected to retail at an incredibly low price and will also include 12 months of free access to CBRS spectrum.

"Our vision at Baicells has always been to make cellular infrastructure accessible to everyday consumers," said Jesse Raasch, VP and CTO at Baicells. "Working with FreedomFi we are delivering a lineup of base stations that people with no experience in LTE or 5G can set up, by simply plugging the radios into FreedomFi Gateway appliances." 

"Baicells is pleased to be working with CalChip Connect and FreedomFi to democratize internet access to the level where consumers will now be able to take part in helping build a decentralized 5G network and begin mining HNT," said Boun Senekham, Baicells VP of sales. "This is an incredible feat that is only made possible with Baicells effortless 'plug-and-play' approach to LTE and 5G and our incredible partners."

Nova 430i models certified with FreedomFi Gateways will run specialized firmware, different from stock Nova 430i models. Specialized firmware makes the device consumer-deployable with 100% of configuration and post-install certification completed automatically with no need for professional installer presence onsite. Such a high degree of automation is made possible through tight integration with the Magma open source project, hosted by the Linux foundation.

"An average cost to bring up a small cell site in the US today is $36,000, most of which is the cost of labor to complete the setup and configuration," said Joey Padden, FreedomFi co-founder and CTO. "Through software automation and innovative open source technologies like Magma, we have cut that cost by 10x.

All Baicells base stations being certified for deployment under the partnership are based on the same Qualcomm chipset and are built in Taiwan. Certification further involved a security audit, performed by the Helium 5G offload partners to ensure the products are compliant with all legal and functional FCC requirements to be used for mobile broadband in the US.

"Security and compliance are critical to us as it directly impacts the experience and trust of our customers," said Sam King, Chief Revenue Officer at GigSky, the first connectivity provider taking advantage of the Helium 5G network. "We appreciate the thorough and transparent approach to this matter practiced by FreedomFi and Baicells."

FreedomFi is working to build the largest neutral host small cell network in the US, independently operated by owners of real estate assets well-suited for radio deployments. More than 30,000 people in the US have joined the FreedomFi waitlist to purchase a FreedomFi Gateway and a certified small cell to date. Baicells Nova 430i is the second plug-and-play base station certified with FreedomFi Gateway, following FreedomFi One base station announced in December 2021. Certified versions of Baicells Nova 436Q, Nova 430 and Neutrino 430 are expected to also become available prior to the end of Q2 2022.

Customers can look for "Helium-Network Compatible" stickers on the products and related verbiage to confirm the Baicells base stations can operate within the Helium ecosystem.

About Baicells
Baicells is an international company, providing disruptively priced and technically innovative 4G LTE and 5G NR Access Solutions that connect more than 50 countries across the globe. Our ever-expanding goal to "Connect the Unconnected" has led to the establishment of offices across five of the seven continents and the development of over 300 patents since our inception in 2014. Baicells currently boasts over 700 private LTE networks across the world, with a large percentage of those trusted networks operating within North America. To meet growing demand for increased connectivity, Baicells production is booming with manufacturing plants operating in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam alongside an extensive relationship with global manufacturers.

About CalChip
Leading the world in IoT device distribution and deployment, CalChip Connect (CCC) is committed to connecting consumers and industries around the globe with the highest performing solutions and devices available on the market today.

For more than 40 years, the CalChip team has been perfecting the art of warehousing and distributing thousands of products, bringing scalability and value add to the industry. Our seasoned leadership team has the knowledge and expertise to create customized IoT solutions – from hardware and software to provisioning and packaging – to support our partners and optimize their successful journey to market.

About FreedomFi
FreedomFi is the open 5G company that offers the easiest path toward open source Private LTE or 5G networks. Be it for Fixed Wireless Access, Enterprise Cellular or Mobile Broadband, just plug in any commodity small cell into a FreedomFi Gateway and start managing a private cellular network via a SaaS-hosted portal.

About GigSky
Founded in 2010, GigSky is a leading provider of global data connectivity solutions across land, sea and air for consumers and businesses. Through the company's 500+ carrier network, mobile app and GEM Platform, GigSky provides affordable and reliable coverage in over 190 countries and territories, including offshore and inflight coverage. GigSky's innovative products include the GigSky App & eSIM service for iPhone and Android, GigSky for iPad, GigSky for Windows 10 Connected PC, IoT and DoD solutions, Enterprise Mobile Data Management solutions and 5G Private Networks. Connect with GigSky on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
https://www.gigsky.com

Media Contact:
Max Hahn
[email protected]

SOURCE Baicells Technologies