Helium Network Offloads 274TB of Mobile Data Monthly at 2,485 Restaurant Locations Across 34 Chains

Helium Network HNT$0.195-1.4% published data on July 24 showing its Solana-based wireless network offloads 274,000 GB of mobile data every month across 2,485 locations at 34 national restaurant chains in the United States. The figures cover carrier offload, a mechanism that routes cellular subscriber traffic through locally deployed Helium hotspots inside high-traffic venues, reducing congestion on AT&T's network during peak dining hours. AT&T's partnership with Helium for carrier offload, reported by The Defiant in April 2025, underpins these deployments.

How Carrier Offload Works at Fast Food Chains

Fast food and coffee chains have moved deep into app-driven revenue. Mobile ordering, digital loyalty programs, payment systems, and in-store digital menus all require customers to maintain a data connection. At peak lunch and dinner rushes, hundreds of phones compete for carrier spectrum in a small space, degrading the apps that restaurant revenue depends on.

Helium's carrier offload mechanism redirects that congestion. When a subscriber's phone detects a compatible Helium hotspot with the right network credentials, the device shifts data from the cellular network onto local Helium coverage using Passpoint or Wi-Fi Calling standards. The subscriber stays on their carrier plan and sees nothing different. Hotspot deployers (whether individuals or the chain operators themselves) earn HNT (HNT) rewards based on data volume transferred.

This model requires no new cellular infrastructure from the carrier and no contract negotiation from the restaurant. Hardware deployment is the entry point, and data throughput scales with venue traffic.

Chain-by-Chain Breakdown: Chick-fil-A, KFC, Taco Bell, Starbucks

Helium's July 24 data puts KFC first by site count at 586 locations, followed by Taco Bell at 539. By data volume per site, Chick-fil-A leads: roughly 1,100 GB per location per month across 34 sites, equivalent by Helium's calculation to streaming 6,400 HD movies monthly at a single restaurant. Starbucks contributes 32,774 GB total across 90 locations, per the same data.

Helium also reports Five Guys at around 525 GB per site monthly across 6 locations, Raising Cane's at 361 GB across 7, and coffee shops at roughly 218 GB per site per month on average, reflecting longer customer dwell times than quick-service formats. Other chains on the network include McDonald's, Sonic, Dunkin', Chipotle, and Wendy's.

What 274TB Monthly Means for Solana-Based DePIN

At 274 TB per month, the restaurant segment annualizes to roughly 3.3 petabytes of data offload. The figures are self-reported from Helium's own network logs. For hotspot operators, HNT reward emissions from this data traffic are set by network parameters the Helium community governs through ongoing proposals.

The restaurant data arrives during an active expansion period for the network. Helium opened new expansion zones at major New York City venues including Madison Square Garden and Grand Central Terminal last week. Earlier this month, Helium ranked first in fee generation among Solana's active DePIN projects alongside GEODNET.

The carrier offload model's cost structure helps explain the deployment scale: once hotspot hardware is installed, marginal cost per gigabyte is low, and throughput at high-traffic commercial venues grows with customer volume rather than requiring new infrastructure per new gigabyte.