World Mobile debuts documentary with Mario Nawful on Hurricane Helene and DePIN disaster relief

WORLD Mobile has released a documentary on its work to reconnect people in the aftermath of the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

The tropical cyclone ripped through the south-eastern region of the US in late September, leaving 234 deaths and an estimated $113.5 billion of damage in its wake.

Worst hit was North Carolina, where 103 people died, and 26 people are recorded as 'still missing' amid the $53.6 billion carnage.

As the storm calmed, it was difficult for emergency planners and rescuers to comprehend the scale of the damage, let alone know where to begin with recovery work.

Among the first to take positive action was DePIN telecoms company World Mobile facilitating the rapid deployment of decentralized wireless network nodes on the ground to restore mobile access for people and communities left without coverage. 

In a Blackhawk helicopter provided by Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson, World Mobile deployed to remote areas across vast areas of devastation to set up its decentralized wireless nodes.

These 'AirNodes' are designed to provide cellular signal for end-users, direct-to-handset.

AirNodes themselves require connection, called ‘backhaul’, which can be provided by a range of different technologies including fibre optic and satellite connectivity. In remote locations, such as those impacted by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, World Mobile's AirNodes are able to connect via Starlink, converting its satellite signal into cellular coverage, thereby giving anyone within a mile radius of the node the ability to dial out to emergency services, contact loved ones, and allowing them to connect with the world again in the aftermath of the tragedy. 

The entire operation was captured by an industry-grade film unit who shadowed the World Mobile team as they deployed the nodes on the ground. 

World Mobile has also teamed up with X’s biggest Spaces host - Mario Nawful - who debuted the film, titled 'Connecting the Disconnected' on his page yesterday.

The hope of World Mobile group CEO Micky Watkins is that sharing the documentary on such a large platform will shine a light on the positive impact that Web3 can have in the field of humanitarian relief, and also to show the ease of deployment and benefit to returning ownership to the community that Web3 and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN) offer. 

“We are committed to supporting communities when they need us the most," he says.

"The rapid deployment of our DePIN network in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene demonstrates the vital role that innovative connectivity solutions can play in disaster recovery.”

Connecting the Disconnected: Restoring Hope with DePIN Connectivity

The swift response and AirNode deployment, while done for humanitarian reasons, have also demonstrated a strong use case for DePIN in disaster relief.

But the work does not end there. Recently, World Mobile passed the 500,000 daily users mark, and successfully completed the first four of its global AirNode drops, with the latest drop selling out in under three minutes. With AirNode operators earning up to $1,000 per month, future sales are expected to be a resounding success.

With a market size of more than $1.7tn, and the quality of service for end users waning, it’s clear that the telecoms industry is due a shake up. Legacy mobile network operators are struggling to evolve in the wake of a shift toward data usage for VoIP and instant messaging, over calls and texts. 

World Mobile looks well-placed to shake up this enormous market by enabling users to reclaim power over their communication with a fully private, secure, community-powered service which fairly shares revenue with those using and helping to build the network.

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