Helium Foundation

Protocol Report 2023, Q4


Foreword

Introduction

As another dynamic quarter concludes, we present an overview of the progress and advancements within the Helium Network. The fourth quarter has been a period of substantial growth and innovation, signaling new milestones in Helium's mission to develop the world's most robust and largest Decentralized Wireless Network.

During this quarter, the Helium Network has witnessed notable developments in both the IOT and MOBILE subNetwork, including the reconnection of thousands of IOT hotspots coming back online with the addition of new Helium MOBILE hotspots powering up. These advancements, fueled by the community's unwavering dedication to enhancing connectivity, have resulted in significant breakthroughs. These achievements are particularly notable in regions where traditional telecom and wireless networks have historically struggled to provide sufficient coverage.

Overview of Q4 Objectives and Achievements

As a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit entity, the Foundation continues its commitment to providing secure and cost-effective wireless coverage worldwide. Serving as the steward of the Helium Network — the world's largest decentralized wireless network — the Foundation is contributing to network governance, protocol engineering, and broadening public awareness. This quarter has been pivotal in advancing network infrastructure and global connectivity.

A notable achievement this quarter was the passing of HIP 100. This proposal recommends that the community provisionally sets the currently unspecified and EU433 countries in the African region to the EU868 frequency plan. Adopting the EU868 band, which aligns with the ETSI [EN300.220-2] standard, can help standardize Internet of Things (IoT) devices in Africa. The Helium Membership Program also made significant progress, commencing the onboarding of members for 2024. The Helium MOBILE Network noticed substantial user growth through Helium Mobile, the first carrier to introduce an affordable $20 nationwide plan and launch Wi-Fi Hotspots.

These developments have collectively contributed to an increase in data transfer and utilization of the Helium Network.

Executive Summary

IoT Network

  • Network developments: DIMO Macaron, Kraken device by Sensecore.
  • Use cases like air quality sensors in Valencia and SenseCAP sensors in Schools in Australia to study the geography of the region, Greenmetrics solutions in Lisbon, NOWI sensors' toilet leak product.
  • Network expansion and User engagement - Akenza integrates with LORIOT roaming.
  • IOT Proof-Of-Coverage Developments.
  • Network Growth Metrics.

Mobile Network

  • 42,172 total Helium Mobile Subscriber NFTs in the Helium Mobile Network.
  • Mobile ecosystem:
    • Introduction of Helium Mobile Indoor Hotspot for smartphone connectivity, optimizing indoor spaces.
    • Payment Options with MOBILE Rewards: Subscribers use $MOBILE rewards for flexible payments, similar to credit card points, and loyalty programs, covering up to three months of service.
  • University of Miami Athletics Partnership.
  • Cell service with a $20/month unlimited plan.
  • HIP 85 introduces the MOBILE Hex Coverage Limit, adding a baseline hex multiplier to PoC Modeled Coverage Points.

The Helium IoT Network

Recent Developments in the ecosystem

These developments in the Helium IOT Network ecosystem highlight the expanding potential of IoT in various sectors, from automotive technology to environmental conservation, underscoring the network's role in fostering innovative solutions and sustainable practices in the wireless industry.

Helium IOT Network uses the LoRaWAN protocol. The LoRaWAN protocol is a Low Power Wide Area Networking (LPWAN) communication protocol that functions on LoRa. The LoRaWAN specification is open, so anyone can set up and operate a LoRa network.

LoRa is a wireless radio frequency technology that operates in a license-free radio frequency spectrum. LoRa is a physical layer protocol that uses spread spectrum modulation and supports long-range communication at the cost of a narrow bandwidth. It uses a narrow band waveform with a central frequency to send data, which makes it robust to interference.

1. DIMO Macaron by Digital Infrastructure Inc.

The last quarter saw the introduction of DIMO Macaron, a new device for connected vehicles by Digital Infrastructure Inc., also known as DIMO. Macaron is a physical infrastructure that uses Helium's IOT Network. The goal of this device is to make regular cars smart by tapping into the extensive LoRaWAN Network and wireless technology with features like GPS, a car maintenance tracker, or alerts. All of these functions are integrated into the DIMO's app. The Macaron is priced at ninety-nine US dollars and comes with three years of connectivity and no subscription fees. This emphasizes the cost-effectiveness of the Helium Network for users in their everyday lives.

2. The Kraken Device by SenseCore

Heliums IOT Network had a notable innovation in Q4 with the launch of Kraken, a product developed by SenseCore—an ultrasonic flow meter. Kraken connects its devices with users using the Helium IOT Network and LoRaWAN® for data transmission and water management.

Kraken can be installed without the need for wall-breaking or complex renovations. It's a hassle-free and straightforward deployment. Sensecore also provides the visual data through dashboards where you can see the management of your devices, flow meters, leakage details, and more.

It is suitable for a wide range of users, from homes to businesses, hospitals, government offices, public or parks.

You can read more about this on the Helium Foundation's Blog or from Cambridge News Article

The Helium IoT Network

cont.

What Use Cases Are Being Built?

Smart Campus in Australia Powered by the Helium's LoRaWAN Network - To enhance geography education for Year 11 and 12 students, making it more immersive, data-driven, and globally connected, Hills Grammar School collaborated with One Planet Education Network (OPEN) and created a smart campus solution. The solution involved deploying SenseCAP sensors and weather stations across the school's campus, which collect reliable, accurate, and real-time data for the students to get valuable insights into geography.

OPEN, a mission-driven social enterprise founded by George Newman, specializes in STEM+Project-Based Learning, with a focus on sustainable community development and the United Nations' 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This innovative partnership aimed to enrich student's learning experiences and deepen their understanding of the environment.

The solution lay in the deployment of 15 number of SenseCAP sensors in 6 different sites across the school's campus. These sensors included four SenseCAP S2103 CO2 sensors, three SenseCAP S2104 soil moisture/temperature sensors, three SenseCAP S2102 light intensity sensors, and three SenseCAP A1101 vision AI sensors. In addition, two SenseCAP S2120 LoRaWAN 8-in-1 Weather Stations were installed to collect microclimate data.

Together with the live dashboard created by OPEN, and its partner Hitechdb, which is based on Ubidots software, the data can be visualized and accessed during classroom activities, allowing students to engage directly with their surroundings, thus turning the school's campus into a living laboratory for geography education.

Read more on Seeed Studios Blog


Valencia's Smart Energy Initiative - In Valencia, a collaborative effort with DAMAL REDES SL and the Helium IOT Network is transforming the fight against energy poverty. Utilizing the Helium LoRaWAN protocol, the city has deployed over 130 air quality sensors across key areas. These sensors provide critical data on energy usage and environmental conditions, especially in low-income neighborhoods. This smart approach enables precise identification of energy inefficiencies, paving the way for targeted solutions to reduce energy poverty and promote sustainable urban living.

Many users were featured throughout the quarter, showcasing the construction of innovative and useful products to help improve our daily lives.


Greenmetrics Solution Enables 14-28% Savings in Irrigation Costs with Top 10 Golf Courses in Portugal - Tiago, CEO of Greenmetrics, stated, “Using Helium, we can provide cost-effective solutions, have 5 years of battery, and don't require solar, wifi repeaters, or SIM cards.”

Read the full user story on the new page.


Greenmetrics solutions help detect floods in Operational Center, Lisbon - On October 19, 2023, at 12:36 pm the team in Alcântara got alerted about drainage issues and flash floods.

Within one minute, firefighters, and urban cleaning crews were redirected from other parts of the city where they were preventively positioned.

Read more in the X thread here.


NOWI Sensors LLC Launches New Toilet Leak Product - NOWI, focusing on leak detection and reduction in wasted water, launched a new product detecting toilet leaks. Per NOWI, an estimated 60% of residential leaks are caused by toilets, constituting almost 8% of the residential water use in the US. NOWI aims to solve this problem.

Network Expansion and User Engagement

The Helium community's contributions, including new tools and LoRaWAN Network Server (LNS) setups, continue to play a crucial role in the network's growth and innovation.

Over nine new LoRaWAN Network Servers were onboarded this quarter, expanding the use of both private servers for individual users and public offerings open to Helium Network users. The projects highlighted below exemplify new LNS setups.

  • UPLINK Network GmbH & Heliotics: with expertise in telecommunications and end-to-end IoT, Uplink Network and Heliotics are now offering services based on their own Helium LNS in Europe.
  • Yosensi: based in Poland, Yosensi offers simple and fast device integration via its app. Streamlining easy migration to Helium, configuration, and updates, Yosensi focuses on smooth and efficient device management.
  • Sattrack: providing services throughout Europe, Sattrack offers end-to-end tracking solutions from sensors to LNS to visualization platforms. With an additional focus on farming and agricultural use cases, Sattrack can support a multitude of use cases for outdoor tracking.

BrDot and TagoIO Partner for Advanced IoT and LoRaWAN Solutions in Brazil

Helium IOT Network expanded in Brazil, the fifth-largest country in the world by land area. BrDot, a member of the ecosystem, is playing a key role in addressing connectivity challenges, especially in rural areas.

The expansion involves setting up over 6,000 access points and focuses on IoT technology, crucial for areas with limited connectivity. This initiative aims to provide reliable internet in rural Brazil, revolutionizing smart farming. It creates opportunities for advanced agricultural applications, such as real-time environmental monitoring and smart irrigation, to improve productivity and cut costs. Collaboration with TagoIO enhances the project, making IoT integration seamless and offering robust tools for technology deployment. Overall, this move using the Helium IOT Network is a significant step in reducing Brazil's digital divide and advancing technology in its agricultural sector.

Akenza integrates with LORIOT Roaming

The integration of Akenza with LORIOT's Roaming Hub is seen as a strategic move that aims to enhance global IoT connectivity. The LORIOT Roaming Hub, serving as a centralized service, is designed to maintain a high Service Level Availability (SLA) of 99.5%, ensuring dependable connectivity and access to various LoRaWAN® networks worldwide. This includes LORIOT's Community Public Server infrastructure and Helium's open and public LoRaWAN Network. This is important for achieving consistent and efficient data transmission across different regions, providing benefits to IoT applications that rely on robust and widespread network coverage.

For additional information, you can refer to the full article on LORIOT's website.

Developments in IOT Proof-of-Coverage

Changes in Denylist Operation by Nova Labs

As discussed on recent IOT working group calls, Nova Labs has introduced two new classifiers into the Denylist.

Both classifiers aim to enhance the network's integrity and efficiency by identifying and denying participation to Hotspots that do not follow the protocol's operational guidelines. This will likely lead to a more credible IoT network, benefiting all users relying on this infrastructure for their IoT devices and applications.

1. Ingest Latency Edge Classifier

This classifier focuses on measuring the time difference (ingest latency) when one Hotspot receives a packet from another Hotspot. The key changes and impacts include:

Histogram-Based Analysis: They create histograms of observed ingest latencies, with the keys being the time differences and the values being the frequency of these occurrences. This allows for a more detailed and statistical approach to understanding latency patterns.

Algorithm for Outlier Detection: Time differences are bucketed into coarser intervals to reduce the variance impact on outlier detection.

  • If there is more than one observed sample with a standard deviation of values ≥ 0.0 and a maximum time difference ≤ 4000ms, the latency is within bounds.
  • If there's exactly one sample with a maximum time difference ≤ 4000ms, it's also considered within bounds.
  • Anything else is flagged as a potential re-broadcaster.

Impact: This classifier helps identify Hotspots that might be illegitimately re-broadcasting signals. It improves the network's reliability by rewarding the Hotspots that are efficiently participating in the network.

2. Antenna Splitter Hotspot Classifier

This classifier is designed to identify Hotspots that are sharing an antenna, which is a practice not allowed in the network.

RSSI Threshold: It sets an absolute maximum RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) tolerance, which is currently at 0. This means any Hotspot with a positive RSSI value and multiple peers located more than a kilometer apart is likely involved in antenna splitting.

Reciprocal Link Analysis: The classifier also examines if the reverse link between Hotspots exceeds the RSSI thresholds, enhancing the accuracy of detection.

Impact: By identifying and reporting Hotspots involved in antenna splitting, this classifier maintains the integrity of the network. It ensures that each Hotspot has its dedicated antenna, which is crucial for the accurate functioning of the network.


The Helium Mobile Network

In the fourth quarter of 2023, a significant advancement was observed in telecommunications with the launch of the first mobile carrier on the Helium 5G Network. Helium Mobile, by Nova Labs, represents a paradigm shift in the construction and operation of nationwide 5G networks. Central to this model is the decentralization of network infrastructure, facilitated by individual operators deploying both outdoor CBRS and indoor WiFi Hotspots. This approach is cost-effective and necessitates a high density of network nodes to deliver reliable, high-speed internet that meets subscriber expectations.

Graph showing daily Helium Mobile Subscribers
42,172 total Helium Mobile Subscriber NFTs

Traditionally, the establishment of new network infrastructure demanded substantial financial investment, often millions of dollars, for a network operator to deploy adequate equipment to provide coverage across extensive geographical areas. In contrast, the Helium 5G Network introduces a financially viable alternative, leveraging widely available resources such as WiFi hotspots. This democratizes internet access, making it more accessible and affordable for its subscribers.

The economic model of the Helium Network incentivizes individual participation in the rapid expansion of the network, a process that can be measured in days and weeks as opposed to years or decades. This model effectively eliminates the significant capital costs and bureaucratic obstacles typically associated with network establishment by a Helium Modular Vote system, a governance model run by Helium MOBILE Network. Participants gain partial ownership of the network and get rewarded for their contribution to building a Mobile Network.

Recent Developments in the 5G Ecosystem

Q4's latest developments in the Helium 5G highlight key initiatives and advancements that are shaping the future of 5G connectivity and services.

1. Introduction of Helium Mobile Indoor Hotspot

A Wi-Fi-enabled Hotspot that is exclusively designed for Helium Mobile subscribers, facilitating smartphone connectivity. The deployment of the Helium Mobile Hotspot enables broader network coverage, offering more affordable phone plans to subscribers. Optimally designed for indoor use in public spaces like gyms, cafes, and shops.

2. Payment Options with MOBILE Rewards

Graphic which explains that you can now pay for your Helium Mobile plan with MOBILE rewards

Subscribers of Helium Mobile use $MOBILE rewards, accumulated through Discovery Mapping, to pay for their Helium Mobile services. Launched on October 10, 2023, this feature provides a flexible payment option, similar to credit card points or loyalty programs, allowing payment for up to three months of service, inclusive of taxes and fees. Post the prepaid period, billing automatically reverts to the subscribe's credit card on file.

3. University of Miami Athletics Partnership

Helium Mobile has partnered with the University of Miami Athletics, becoming the official wireless sponsor of Miami Hurricanes Athletics. Helium Mobile will be present during home games throughout the 2023-2024 season, with planned activations and giveaways for University of Miami fans. The partnership launched with the University of Miami vs. Notre Dame men's basketball game on December 2, 2023, with Helium Mobile as the presenting game sponsor. Helium Mobile will also present Miami's men's and women's basketball lineups throughout the season.

“We are excited to partner with Helium Mobile, a new phone plan with world-class service. We are looking forward to working with Helium Mobile to provide a people-first service and internet to our athletic community and engagement campaigns that will enhance the fan experience,” Chris Maragno, SVP, Hurricane Global Partnerships.

4. Boosted Locations and Discovery Mapping

Boosted Locations are areas where additional coverage is likely to add the most value to Helium Mobile subscribers. Deployments in Boosted Locations are eligible to earn extra rewards. You can check out Boosted Locations in the Helium Mobile Coverage Planner.

All Boosted Locations are currently in high-traffic areas within select Florida counties. More Boosted Locations will be added based on data from Discovery Mapping.

Discovery Mapping is a location-sharing program for Helium Mobile subscribers that helps identify areas where additional coverage will have an impact on the Helium MOBILE Network. Subscribers earn rewards by participating in Discovery Mapping while going about their daily routine, and builders are incentivized to provide coverage in areas highly frequented by Helium Mobile subscribers.

5. Helium Mobile Hotspot Outdoor

Priced at $499, this new product extends the utility of the Helium MOBILE network to outdoor environments. Helium Mobile supports people-powered coverage and enables customers, not carriers, to become network owners and operators.

With Helium Mobile Hotspots, subscribers can own and set up 'mini cell towers'. Dead zones can become a thing of the past when anyone can become a builder and set up a Hotspot to expand the network for themselves and the community.

Starting December 5th, the Outdoor Helium Mobile Hotspot™($499) and Indoor Helium Mobile Hotspot™ ($249) have been made available for purchase nationwide.

6. Launch of Nationwide $20/month Unlimited Plans

Helium Mobile has launched its no-contract nationwide $20/month phone plan with unlimited data, talk, and text on December 5, 2023.

In the last year, major carriers have quietly reduced data limits, increased contracts tied to phone financing, and raised pricing.

“Traditional carriers think they have Americans over a barrel. At Helium Mobile, we believe that cell phones are an essential service and unlimited data, text and calls are table stakes,” said Amir Haleem, CEO of Nova Labs, parent company of Helium Mobile. “We are tired of carriers that hide high subscription rates, roaming, and additional data fees behind free phone upgrades that lock you into years of expensive plans. Americans deserve better.”

While an increasing number of companies are seeing the value of accepting crypto as payment, Helium Mobile is the first that allows you to both earn rewards for your efforts in building and improving the network and use those rewards to pay for phone service.

Developments in MOBILE SubDAO Proof-of-Coverage (PoC) rewards

HIP 85: MOBILE Hex Coverage Limit was passed by the community. This Helium Improvement Proposal (HIP) suggests adding a baseline hex multiplier score to the MOBILE Proof-of-Coverage (PoC) Modeled Coverage Points based on whether other coverage from Helium 5G deployments exists within that res12 hex. This will reward unique coverage with more Modeled Coverage PoC points than redundant and overlapping coverage. This HIP only applies to outdoor radios, and no changes to the reward structure of indoor mobile radios are being made with this HIP.

The following changes are now implemented to the Helium 5G Modeled Coverage Points calculation system:

  • Only the highest three (3) outdoor radio signals in each res12 hex will be awarded modeled coverage points
  • The highest signal in each hex will get a Modeled Coverage Multiplier of 1x, the second highest of .75x, and the third highest of .25x. Any other radio signals not within the top 3 will be awarded zero (0) Modeled Coverage Points. This HIP does not affect Modeled Coverage Points for indoor radios.
  • The Modeled Coverage Explorer will be updated to show the rank of each radio signal in each res12 hex.

Helium Foundation

Website and App Store Updates

Launch of Case Studies

This new page provides a platform for sharing success stories and case studies, showcasing various uses of the Helium network. The goal of the case study page is to inform and inspire our audience about the innovative applications and real-world benefits of Helium Network technology. Explore these stories at Helium Stories.

Press Page Updates

Continuing the Foundation's commitment to transparency and communication, the Press Page has been regularly updated with the latest news, media features, and important announcements. This resource is invaluable for journalists, researchers, and the Helium community to stay informed about the latest happenings in the Helium ecosystem. Discover the most recent updates at Helium Foundation Press.

App Store Updates - Helium HNT Wallet

The Helium HNT Wallet has undergone significant updates, advancing from version 2.3.0 to 2.5.6 (currently in Q1 2024, at v2.6.3). Each update brought improvements in functionality, security, and user experience, demonstrating continuous development of the Helium Network. The latest version introduces key features.

Direct Participation in Helium Governance and Management of Locked Tokens - The Wallet App now natively supports the functionality to lock, unlock, and delegate your $HNT, $IOT, and $MOBILE balances. This mirrors existing on-chain functionalities but significantly improves the user experience, especially for those managing locked token balances. It prepares the community for the upcoming Helium Modular Governance and the transition from Realms.

Automatic Priority Fees for Solana Transactions - Recognizing issues with transaction delays during periods of congestion on Solana, the app now includes an automatic priority fee management feature. Now, the transactions are directly through the app. Users concerned about the priority fee can defer their transactions to a later time. These priority fees are currently at a minimal cost.

The latest release also includes several performance improvements, particularly benefiting users with multiple accounts, and introduces new security features. These features aim to remind users about the importance of securing their tokens and their recovery phrases, bolstering overall security and user experience.

Nearly 250,000 active wallets are currently engaged through the Helium Wallet App.

Research and Development Highlights

Protomaps Integration

A major development in Q4 was the integration of Protomaps, marking a significant stride in utilizing free and open-source world maps. This move not only results in substantial cost savings but also aligns with our commitment to embracing open-source solutions. Learn more about this development inHelium Devblog's post.


Community Engagement

For in-depth information on each HIP, including technical specifications, rationale, and community discussions, please visit that HIP's Helium GitHub repository.

Helium IOT SubDAO

HIP 92: Correcting IOT Pre-mine Calculation Errors.

Based on the specifications in Helium Docs and in HIP 52, all Hotspots that were active, not on the denylist, and earned rewards from either beaconing, witnessing or passing rewardable data, were supposed to receive the IOT pre-mine at the migration.

The author of this HIP proposed to correct for a coding error that left out all "Data Only" Hotspots, as well as an error in the selection process during the migration, which missed some active Hotspots with PoC rewards.

HIP 92 failed as only 40.8% of the community responded with “yes” votes, which is below the passing threshold.

Read the full HIP.

HIP 100: Aims to standardize LoRaWAN frequencies across Africa to EU868, facilitating network consistency and governance.

HIP 100 proposed to assign African countries without set plans to the EU868 frequency, standardizing LoRaWAN frequencies across the continent.

This initiative supports standardizing a single LoRaWAN frequency plan across most of Africa. The Helium Foundation and the community will work with local infrastructure and regulatory agencies to continue promoting this standard.

In the meantime, Helium Hotspots can be deployed across Africa, and use cases can be built on top of this frequency plan. This can enable more cross-border use cases and reduce the friction in adopting LoRaWAN and Helium devices in the region.

HIP 100 passed with 99.9% Yes votes, which is above the passing threshold.

Read the full HIP.

HIP 102: Helium Educational LNS - Unrewarded Trial Network

This proposal seeks to introduce a dedicated LoRaWAN Network Server (LNS) for educational and trial use on the Helium IOT Network. The key feature of this LNS is to offer free data transfer services for educational, trial, and experimental purposes, with a critical operational distinction. These data transfers will not be rewarded to Hotspots, thus preventing the exploitation of the network for this free service.

HIP 102 passed with 94.49% Yes votes, which is above the passing threshold.

Read the full HIP.

HIP 104: Finetune HIP-17 Parameters to Tackle Density.

This proposal recommends modifying HIP 17 and changing how rewards are distributed on the IOT Network. The current system bases rewards on how many Hotspots are in the area, but this has led to too many Hotspots in cities and not enough in rural areas. This HIP proposes to give more rewards to rural areas and aims to improve the network coverage overall, making it more evenly spread out and not just focused in cities.

The community approved HIP 104. This will impact all Hotspot owners, reducing rewards in crowded areas and possibly increasing them in less dense regions. HIP 104 registered 94.74% “yes” votes, which is **above** the passing threshold.

Read the full HIP.

Helium MOBILE SubDAO

On March 15, 2023, HIP 82 was passed by the Helium community, marking the addition of Helium Mobile, run by Nova Labs, as a Service Provider to the Helium MOBILE Network subnetwork. The Helium community has written several proposals which have made significant progress in building the Helium MOBILE Network.

See below for Helium Improvement Proposals (HIPs) that are being discussed and voted on in the Helium MOBILE subDAO.

HIP 74, MOBILE PoC - Modeled Coverage Rewards.

In HIP 74, rewards have evolved for 5G Hotspot owners by ensuring Network builders are compensated appropriately for creating high-quality signal environments, which will be measured by adding modeled coverage data as a new MOBILE Proof-of-Coverage (PoC) layer.

Reward changes have occurred in 2 ways:

  1. Hex Updates: The Helium Network is represented by hexagons (hexes). HIP 74 proposes that the Helium 5G network use smaller hexes than those used for the IoT network to assess the best coverage level.
  2. Changes to the Rewards Algorithm: Only the top-performing radios providing coverage in a given hex will be eligible to earn rewards, capped at 5 indoor and 3 outdoor radios.

This HIP has been implemented. Read the full HIP.

HIP 85: MOBILE Hex Coverage Limit.

HIP 85 added a hex multiplier score to the MOBILE (PoC) Modeled Coverage Points based on whether other coverage from Helium 5G deployments exists within each res12 hex and only applies to outdoor radios.

HIP 85 will improve the value of MOBILE Network coverage by incentivizing users to deploy radios that minimize overlapping coverage and encourage deployments in new areas.

HIP 85 passed with 77.7%% Yes Votes, which is above the passing threshold.

This HIP has been implemented. Read the full HIP.

HIP 96: WiFi AP Onboarding Structure.

HIP 96 WiFi AP Onboarding Structure outlines the onboarding fee structure for two new device types - "Indoor WiFi APs" and "Outdoor WiFi APs" passed by the Helium Community.

The proposed onboarding fees are designed to be approximately 10% of the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of the devices (please see below for specifics). The fees consist of a combination of HNT derived data credits and MOBILE tokens. It is expected that future devices of different classes will follow a similar pricing structure based on their respective MSRP.

Passed with 88.2% locked MOBILE tokens by voters, to revise the fee structure for WiFi Access Points onboarding, varying fees for indoor and outdoor types.

Read the full HIP.

MOBILE Working Group Membership Elections

In this quarter, the Helium community has elected individuals to participate in the Mobile Working Group's activities and decisions for the next six months. The working group consists of two sets of members who serve staggered six-month terms, maintaining a balance between consistent involvement and fresh viewpoints.

Thank you to everyone who participated. Congratulations to Heated Lime, KeithR, Max, Kennyy, and Brainstormer on being elected to the new Mobile Working Group! Your input will be crucial in shaping the future of the Helium Network.

Protocol Updates

This segment of the Protocol Report encapsulates the strategic updates and enhancements in the smart contract protocol. While these updates were unanimously passed by the community in Q4, their implementation was successfully carried out in January of the following year. This report details the nature of these updates and their impact on the network's functionality.

HIP 96: Adoption of WiFi Onboarding Fees

HIP 96 proposes a new fee structure for onboarding WiFi Access Points to the Helium Network.

  1. $20 for indoor Access Points and $30 for outdoor Access Points.
  2. For indoor Access Points, there will be a burn of $10 in Data Credits and $10 in MOBILE tokens.
  3. Outdoor Access Points will burn $10 of Data Credits and $20 of MOBILE tokens for onboarding.

Read the full HIP.

HIP 87: Proportional Service Provider Rewards

HIP 87 provides more clarity for Service Providers' rewards established in HIP-53 (currently defined as 10% emissions).

It proposes a usage-based approach to calculating Service Provider rewards similar to HIP-10 for the IOT Network. Service Providers will be rewarded in MOBILE tokens at a 1:1 ratio to burned Data Credits.

Read the full HIP.