5G On Helium
Historically many mobile networks are built top-down by service providers (e.g., AT&T and Verizon in the United States). However, future networks will likely be a hybrid of large-scale operators and people-owned 5G Hotspots due to consumer behavior demands (higher bandwidth and lower latency requirements) and the physics of wireless radio, requiring denser networks with more nodes, further increasing site acquisition costs.
The Helium model decentralizes these costs and enables communities to participate in building reliable, high-bandwidth networks using technologies such as CBRS and Wi-Fi. We see service providers as a critical component of this ecosystem rather than replacing service providers altogether.
Visit https://hellohelium.com/hotspot for more information on purchasing a Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot to build coverage in your area!
Network of Networks
A general structure for onboarding new Decentralized Network Protocols (DNPs) to the broader Helium Network was created with the passing of HIP-51. The Helium Mobile Subnetwork with 5G Hotspots is the first step in the evolution of the Helium ecosystem.
The passing of HIP-51 additionally allows for the creation of MOBILE tokens that will reward 5G Hotspots with Small Cell Radio(s) on the Mobile Network.
How To Earn MOBILE
The Helium Network rewards 5G Hotspots with CBRS Radios ("Radios") and Wi-Fi Access Points ("Access Points") for providing 5G wireless coverage and verifying the Helium Network with the Helium MOBILE Token.
Earning MOBILE by providing 5G coverage requires a Wi-Fi Access Point or 5G Hotspot and one or more compatible, online Radios. Radios must also be registered in the SAS (Spectrum Access System) maintained by the FCC.
Several factors contribute to the amount of MOBILE an Access Point or 5G Hotspot may earn over a given period. This page covers some higher-level concepts, design elements, and rules to keep in mind that help better explain what you might earn and why.
MOBILE PoC rewards will be credited to the Solana wallet that holds the NFT related to the Access Point or 5G Hotspot when the Rewards Oracle disperses MOBILE PoC Rewards.
Once properly deployed, Network Builders are not required to do anything else with the Access Point, 5G Hotspot or Radios to earn MOBILE.
More than one Radio can be connected to a single 5G Hotspot to create a larger 5G coverage area, with 5G Hotspots able to support as many Radios as would saturate their bandwidth. Note that connecting more than one Radio may require an additional networking switch. Refer to the 5G Hotspot Maker installation guides for specific instructions.
Pre-Mine
As defined in HIP-51 and HIP-53, and approved by community-wide votes, the Helium Foundation received an allocation of 50B (billion) of 250B MOBILE tokens in the form of a pre-mine.
Genesis Period Rewards
The Helium Foundation worked with the core developers to initiate the Genesis period of MOBILE rewards. 100M (million) tokens were programmatically issued per day to all active Helium 5G Hotspots during the Genesis period.
Details of the proportional mining rewards for active 5G Small Cell Radios can be found under MOBILE Proof-of-Coverage. Any MOBILE not minted during the Genesis period may be reallocated to Grants and Operations.
Grants and Operations
The Helium Foundation will distribute grants to teams making core contributions to the development of the Mobile subnetwork. Grants will be distributed based on defined deliverables and milestones.
The Nova Labs team are the first grant recipient for work-in-progress and ongoing development for the Mobile subnetwork. This is spread across three deliverables with 5B MOBILE per milestone for a total grant of 15B MOBILE:
- Milestone 1: Ability for 5G Hotspots to earn MOBILE (Started in August 2022)
- Milestone 2: Development and release of programmatic treasury (by October 2022)
- Actual Programmatic Minting started Feb 1 2023
- The treasury started on April 19 2023
- Milestone 3: Proof-of-Coverage based rewards (December 2023)
The remaining 15B MOBILE is reserved for other work pertaining to Oracles and Mappers development or other community contributions.
Growth Activities Related to the Mobile Subnetwork
Reserved for marketing and educational campaigns around the Mobile subnetwork.
Emissions Curve
HIP-53 defined a max supply of 250B (billion) MOBILE with issuance halvenings every two years aligned with the HNT issuance halvenings. The first MOBILE halving occurred on August 1, 2023, to align with HNT halving and will continue on a 2-year cycle afterward. Creating a "stub period" as defined by HIP-53, which will begin when standard emissions of MOBILE tokens begin (and MOBILE can be redeemed by HNT in the subnetwork's treasury).
HIP-75 further modified the emission schedule and started the programmatic minting of MOBILE on Feb 1st 2023.
| | BEFORE: HIP-53 Emissions Schedule | | AFTER: HIP-75 Emissions Schedule | | ---- | --------------------------------- | ------------- | -------------------------------- | ------------- | | Year | MOBILE at year start | MOBILE minted | MOBILE at year start | MOBILE minted | | 1 | 50B | 116B* | 50B | 80B* | | 2 | 116B | 33B | 80B | 30B | | 3 | 149.5B | 33B | 110B | 30B | | 4 | 182B | 16.5B | 140B | 15B | | 5 | 198.5B | 16.5B | 155B | 15B | | 6 | 215B | 8.25B | 170B | 7.5B | | 7 | 223.25B | 8.25B | 177.5B | 7.5B |
*50B pre-mine
Full emissions schedule of HIP-53 and HIP-75 can be downloaded on GitHub.
The date for the treasury implementation was April 18, 2023 and depended on core developers implementing the HNT token treasury and redemption transactions on the Solana Blockchain as defined for all new subnetworks in Phase 2 of HIP-51.
Managing Tokens with the Helium Wallet App
A 5G Hotspot with an attached and properly registered Small Cell Radio will start earning MOBILE automatically as one "lump sum" to the associated Hotspot. Learn more about calculating MOBILE Rewards in the MOBILE Proof-of-Coverage documentation.
Interacting with MOBILE tokens is only possible using the Helium Wallet App. Be sure to update the Helium Wallet App to the latest version. More information can be found on the #announcements channel in Helium Discord