For many years, the Gristle King blog was devoted to DePINs, or Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks. As of October 2025, that is changing.

Helium ain't the only LoRaWAN network out there, and it's certainly not the one that's been around longest. Thomas over at Tingkart recently sent me this excellent video from The Things Network called "The Silver Bullet to IoT Success".

"Innovate, be relentless, and make the network usage grow" says Robert Putt, an early Helium adopter and LoRaWAN expert. Rob wrote one of the most useful articles on getting your Hotspot off relay and has spent years in the LoRaWAN space.

What is the single biggest obstacle to the Helium project, and the decentralization of wireless networks, from LoRa to WiFi to cellular? It's usage.

Are you looking for a cool community project to contribute to that blends Helium with Health? I'm starting one right here, right now.