Fixing Coverage Gaps with Helium: The Untangled Technology Story
Summary
<h4><strong>How an Ohio ISP is using Helium Hotspots to deliver stronger, smarter connectivity to his community.</strong></h4><figure><img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*_9kZrluqsiqCD7Yuf6OayQ.png" /></figure><p>Dustin Wright didn’t set out to be a full-scale internet service provider. But what began as a radio hobby during the 2008 recession turned into Untangled Technology, a network builder and Wi-Fi architect trusted by schools, local governments, and the City of Fairlawn, Ohio.</p><p>By 2017, Wright partnered with local leaders in Fairlawn, a suburb of Akron. The city determined that declining business growth and stagnant home values were largely the result of poor internet connectivity. In response, the city tapped Untangled to help launch <a href="https://www.fairlawngig.net/">FairlawnGig</a>, a city-owned broadband utility delivering high-speed fiber to every home and business. Wright’s future plans for FairlawnGig involve incorporating <a href="https://www.helium.com/mobile#hotspots">Helium Hotspots</a> throughout the city to strengthen the network.</p><p>After 16 years of successfully building robust private networks, Wright still had clients with coverage gaps, especially in large buildings or public facilities where people struggled with consistent indoor coverage. After learning about Helium Hotspots in December 2024, he realized he had a solution for those customers who were missing out on expanded coverage that didn’t require building new infrastructure.</p><figure><img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*J0atFypD3i049itEEg-MCg.png" /></figure><p>After being in business for so many years, Wright has a long customer list. With Helium Hotspots, he’s able to go back to existing customers and provide more coverage and more reliability — a major connectivity upgrade all around — at no extra charge. Without laying out cables of expensive fiber cable, he can deploy Helium Hotspots on streetlamps, stop lights, outdoor garages, all across the city, to increase coverage using the infrastructure they already have in place.</p><p>While Helium offers token rewards for network coverage, Wright sees those as a bonus to the business rather than a core aspect central to his business model. “We manage these networks, and that’s where the bulk of the business gets done.”</p><p>As network managers, Wright provides a detailed data report tailored to each client. Depending on the business, the metrics can give a lot of information not just about the connectivity, but on business objectives or outcomes. In a school district, the report might highlight Wi-Fi uptime. In a recreation center offering digital skills training, it might show whether public tech resources are being used effectively. These data-driven insights can help his clients make strategic decisions for their school, community center, business or government building.</p><p>Looking ahead, Wright plans to begin integrating Helium Hotspots across Fairlawn as part of FairlawnGig’s evolution. With a long list of clients already relying on Untangled Technology, Helium offers a way to futureproof services — delivering better connectivity with less friction.</p><p>To be a featured Helium Hotspot deployer, please contact <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</p><img alt="" height="1" src="https://medium.com/_/stat?event=post.clientViewed&referrerSource=full_rss&postId=af10b5d0c508" width="1" /><hr /><p><a href="https://blog.helium.com/untangled-technology-af10b5d0c508">Fixing Coverage Gaps with Helium: The Untangled Technology Story</a> was originally published in <a href="https://blog.helium.com">The Helium Blog</a> on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.</p>
<h4><strong>How an Ohio ISP is using Helium Hotspots to deliver stronger, smarter connectivity to his community.</strong></h4><figure><img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*_9kZrluqsiqCD7Yuf6OayQ.png" /></figure><p>Dustin Wright didn’t set out to be a full-scale internet service provider. But what began as a radio hobby during the 2008 recession turned into Untangled Technology, a network builder and Wi-Fi architect trusted by schools, local governments, and the City of Fairlawn, Ohio.</p><p>By 2017, Wright partnered with local leaders in Fairlawn, a suburb of Akron. The city determined that declining business growth and stagnant home values were largely the result of poor internet connectivity. In response, the city tapped Untangled to help launch <a href="https://www.fairlawngig.net/">FairlawnGig</a>, a city-owned broadband utility delivering high-speed fiber to every home and business. Wright’s future plans for FairlawnGig involve incorporating <a href="https://www.helium.com/mobile#hotspots">Helium Hotspots</a> throughout the city to strengthen the network.</p><p>After 16 years of successfully building robust private networks, Wright still had clients with coverage gaps, especially in large buildings or public facilities where people struggled with consistent indoor coverage. After learning about Helium Hotspots in December 2024, he realized he had a solution for those customers who were missing out on expanded coverage that didn’t require building new infrastructure.</p><figure><img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*J0atFypD3i049itEEg-MCg.png" /></figure><p>After being in business for so many years, Wright has a long customer list. With Helium Hotspots, he’s able to go back to existing customers and provide more coverage and more reliability — a major connectivity upgrade all around — at no extra charge. Without laying out cables of expensive fiber cable, he can deploy Helium Hotspots on streetlamps, stop lights, outdoor garages, all across the city, to increase coverage using the infrastructure they already have in place.</p><p>While Helium offers token rewards for network coverage, Wright sees those as a bonus to the business rather than a core aspect central to his business model. “We manage these networks, and that’s where the bulk of the business gets done.”</p><p>As network managers, Wright provides a detailed data report tailored to each client. Depending on the business, the metrics can give a lot of information not just about the connectivity, but on business objectives or outcomes. In a school district, the report might highlight Wi-Fi uptime. In a recreation center offering digital skills training, it might show whether public tech resources are being used effectively. These data-driven insights can help his clients make strategic decisions for their school, community center, business or government building.</p><p>Looking ahead, Wright plans to begin integrating Helium Hotspots across Fairlawn as part of FairlawnGig’s evolution. With a long list of clients already relying on Untangled Technology, Helium offers a way to futureproof services — delivering better connectivity with less friction.</p><p>To be a featured Helium Hotspot deployer, please contact <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</p><img alt="" height="1" src="https://medium.com/_/stat?event=post.clientViewed&referrerSource=full_rss&postId=af10b5d0c508" width="1" /><hr /><p><a href="https://blog.helium.com/untangled-technology-af10b5d0c508">Fixing Coverage Gaps with Helium: The Untangled Technology Story</a> was originally published in <a href="https://blog.helium.com">The Helium Blog</a> on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.</p>