What is Helium?

What is Helium?

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What is the Helium Network?

Originally, the Helium Network started as an attempt to create the world's first widespread LoRaWAN network utilizing blockchain and cryptocurrency incentives to accelerate the building and growth of the network. Over time, the focus and utility of Helium has changed to become "a network of networks." This means multiple network protocols are able to take advantage of the underlying Helium infrastructure and incentives to deploy and scale in a cutting edge way.

All subnetworks on Helium are tied together with the usage of Helium Network Token (HNT) and Data Credits (DC). HNT must be burned to create DC which is used to pay for data transfer over the Helium network and other blockchain transactions. DC always has a fixed value of $0.00001 USD which helps to insulate network users from wild value changes which happen frequently when working with cryptocurrencies. For example, if the current fiat value of HNT was $1, a user would receive 100,000 DC in exchange for burning 1 HNT. If HNT's fiat value were $10, a user would receive 1,000,000 DC. In either scenario, the value of DC would always remain $0.00001 USD.

Burning HNT to create DC removes HNT supply and theoretically increases the value of remaining HNT. Hotspot operators participating in various subnetworks are rewarded in their particular subnetwork token ($IOT, $MOBILE, etc) and these subnetwork tokens can be exchanged for HNT, further tying the subnetworks and their operation together under the overall banner of Helium.

What are the Different Subnetworks of Helium?

IOT

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The IOT subnetwork is the first network type on Helium and initially was the only network. After Helium's shift to focus on being "a network of networks" and the addition of the MOBILE subnetwork, IOT was transitioned into a subnetwork of its own.

The IOT subnetwork utilizes LoRaWAN technology and the Helium network framework to build out an infrastructure of IoT devices, LoRaWAN gateways, and other components such as Router and Console.

LoRaWAN is a wireless technology often used by small low power devices with low bandwidth requirements such as temperature sensors, GPS trackers, water leak sensors, and more. LoRaWAN is only capable of sending small amounts of data at a given time, however it is incredibly energy efficient and can travel over very long ranges of multiple kilometers. Due to these attributes, LoRaWAN is an excellent option for sensors and other IoT devices as their chief concerns are typically long battery life and connectivity over large ranges.

IoT device operators must burn HNT for Data Credits to pay for their device's data transmission on the Helium network. IOT Hotspot operators who facilitate IOT network coverage are rewarded in $IOT tokens for proof of coverage mechanics (to prove the coverage exists and is operational) as well as any IoT device data transferred through their Hotspots. Hotspot operators can utilize $IOT tokens for voting functions related to the IOT subnetwork or $IOT tokens can be burned to receive a proportional amount of HNT which can then be held or sold on the open market to extract fiat (US Dollar, etc) value from Hotspot rewards.

MOBILE

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The MOBILE subnetwork utilizes WiFi and 5G technologies as well as the Magma open source framework and the Helium network framework to build out an infrastructure of WiFi Hotspots, 5G Radios, and Gateways compatible with cellular devices. The MOBILE subnetwork allows for carriers such as Helium Mobile to provide service to subscribers without having to deploy nationwide or worldwide infrastructure as well as allowing existing big name carriers the ability to utilize the MOBILE network to supplement their existing infrastructure in areas where their coverage is not sufficient.

5G is a wireless technology used by many cellular carriers to facilitate cellular service for customers including voice, data, and SMS. The range of 5G is much smaller than LoRaWAN, however 5G is capable of very high data transfer speeds in comparison and as such is a good choice for cellular networks.

WiFi is a prolific wireless technology deployed in the majority of homes and businesses across the world which most cellular devices are capable of utilizing. The range of WiFi is much smaller than LoRaWAN yet larger than 5G, and its infrastructure costs and complexity are much lower than that of 5G, making it an excellent choice for deploying cellular device compatible network coverage in a cost-effective manner.

Network operators utilizing the MOBILE network must burn HNT for Data Credits to pay for their customer's device transmissions on the Helium network. MOBILE WiFi Hotspot/Radio/Gateway operators who facilitate MOBILE network coverage are rewarded in $MOBILE tokens for proof of coverage mechanics (to prove the coverage exists and is operational) as well as any cellular device data transferred through their Hotspots, radios and gateways. WiFi Hotspot/Radio/Gateway operators can utilize $MOBILE tokens for voting functions related to the MOBILE subnetwork or $MOBILE tokens can be burned to receive a proportional amount of HNT which can then be held or sold on the open market to extract fiat (US Dollar, etc) value from Radio/Gateway rewards.

The Big Picture of LoRaWAN on Helium

The following is a high level overview of the functional components that make up the IoT subnetwork and how they interact:

  • IoT Device: Any device using the Helium IoT network, typically sensors which transmit packets to a Hotspot via LoRaWAN 
  • Hotspot: A LoRa capable gateway (such as the RAK Hotspot v2 or MNTD. Light Hotspot) which receives data from IoT devices via LoRaWAN and forwards the data to Router via an internet connection in exchange for IoT token rewards
  • XOR Filter: A filter which lives on all Hotspots containing identifiers for every device added to the Helium network and its associated OUI (who owns the device). Hotspots use the XOR filter to drop packets received from devices which are not using the Helium network and to determine what information to provide Router for valid packets, thereby reducing waste as the network doesn't need to route unrelated packets.
  • Router: The back-end of Console which handles routing packets from IoT devices to the proper account on Console
  • Console: The web interface whereby sensors can be added to accounts and data flows can be configured using Functions and Integrations. There are multiple available Console providers, and you can even run your own Console and Router instance as the software is open source!
  • Function: Typically used to decode the raw data received from IoT devices into a format that can be understood by the Integration it's being sent to. These decoder Functions are not required if the Integration has built-in capability to perform the decoding itself.
  • Integration: This is the end-point to which the IoT device data is being sent. This can be an HTTP or MQTT connection to an endpoint (server) operated in-house or various cloud endpoint providers such as Datacake, AWS IoT Core, Azure IoT Hub, Helium Cargo, Google Sheets, and many more.

The Big Picture of 5G on Helium

The following is a high level overview of the functional components that make up the MOBILE subnetwork and how they interact:

  • User Equipment (UE): This is anything connecting to a WiFi Hotspot or radio and utilizing the Helium MOBILE network, such as a cell phone
  • WiFi Hotspot: These are WiFi capable Gateways (such as the MNTD. Fi Pro) which allow for UEs to offload cellular traffic to the Helium MOBILE network using WiFi technology
  • Radio: These are CBRS compatible 5G radios which facilitate communication between UEs and the Helium MOBILE network
  • Gateway: Gateways connect Radios to the Magma mobile core infrastructure and handle various related functions
  • Magma Mobile Core: The Magma mobile core is an open source framework used to build the Helium MOBILE network and allow for interaction between it and other existing carrier networks
  • External Carrier Network: These are networks of other cellular carriers which could be entities such as T-Mobile, ATT, and more

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