People-Powered Rewards: Introducing Discovery Mapping
Discovery Mapping is here. Map your community. Build the Helium Network. Get the chance to earn rewards for your efforts.
Map your community. Build the Helium Network. Get the chance to earn rewards for your efforts.
Today, we are thrilled to unveil one of Helium Mobile’s most-anticipated features: the chance for users to earn MOBILE token rewards from their smartphones. Simply from the Helium Mobile app, users can opt in to Discovery Mapping, a location sharing program that enables us to identify where additional people-built coverage will have the most impact. So let’s talk about how it works, why it benefits you, and your impact by participating.
In a recent blog we shared our vision for Helium Mobile–a revolutionary people-powered approach to mobile connectivity. Our goal is to redefine the mobile service landscape to one that involves and benefits real people instead of big corporations. At the core of this vision lies Dynamic Coverage, a powerful combination of the community-built Helium Mobile Network coverage and nationwide coverage. Now, with the introduction of Discovery Mapping we’re taking the next step toward scaling this model and turning our vision into a reality.
What’s Discovery Mapping?
Discovery Mapping is a feature that empowers you to contribute to the enhancement of the Helium Mobile Network by sharing your phone's location data. This valuable service allows users to actively participate and, in return, have the chance to be rewarded with MOBILE tokens for their efforts. Discovery Mapping is so named because it helps us discover locations that would be ideal for builders to deploy new Helium Mobile Network coverage.
Once you’ve voluntarily opted in to Discovery Mapping on the Helium Mobile app, simply go about your normal routine; the mapping happens in the background so long as location sharing is enabled and you’re subscribed to Helium Mobile. Knowledge of where users move about in a typical day allows us to give clear guidance to community members who want to help us deploy additional coverage. We will be using your location only for the purposes stated above.
Privacy you control
When we first surveyed potential Helium Mobile users, over 70% of you said you were most excited about the potential to earn MOBILE rewards from your phone**. At the same time, many of you also indicated that a carrier that prioritizes your privacy was a key differentiator for Helium Mobile.
To ensure we are respecting user privacy and providing the opportunity to earn rewards, Discovery Mapping is an exclusively opt-in feature. This means you will not be mapping or earning rewards unless you manually enable and accept the feature in your Helium Mobile App. Further, the feature will be automatically disabled if you decide to opt out of location sharing. The information you share when mapping the network is used to optimize the expansion of the Helium Mobile Network.
When it comes to sharing your location data with us, the decision is always in your control.
Earn rewards for your efforts
Discovery Mapping gives you the chance to earn rewards in the form of MOBILE tokens. Your phone will transmit location data every 15 meters. You don’t need to have the app open or take any specific action to facilitate sharing so long as you’ve opted in and are using Helium Mobile data.
Rewards are shared equally among those participating in mapping. If you are interested in a full breakdown of the token rewards algorithm and distribution, you can read the complete details in HIP 79.
In addition to earning MOBILE tokens, users that participate in Discovery Mapping have the opportunity to make a real impact on their mobile connectivity. In order for our concept of Dynamic Coverage to scale, we need to learn where people-built coverage is needed most. By participating, you’re helping improve the Helium Mobile Network and creating a mobile future beyond the monopolies of big telcos.
Discovery Mapping is just the beginning of our project to learn more about coverage and usage so we can build a strong, people-built network. We’ll be rolling out more ways to map the network later this year, and along with it, more opportunities for users to get involved in the work and earn rewards.
Getting started
As one user put it “I joined the Beta because I wanted to help provide information to better the service.” By subscribing to Helium Mobile, you’ve taken the first step towards becoming a part of and building a better carrier.
Increase your impact by opting in to Discovery Mapping and have the chance to earn MOBILE rewards. Download and open the Helium Mobile App to opt in.
*All quotes in this article come from feedback provided anonymously by Helium Mobile users in response to a survey asking them why they switched to Helium Mobile
** Survey data collected from October 12, 2022 to March 7, 2023 among 1,882 adults