Helium miners are a wireless network that allows low-power internet of things devices to send data to and from the internet.
This device works by encouraging users to install hotspots in their homes and then rewards them with HNT which is a native coin also known as crypto currency.
The more the number of helium miners installed, the broader and more reliable the network will be. The bobcat miner 300is powered by open-source block chain technology that can create a blanket of connectivity when connected with other nearby miners.
More so, the Helium miner enables anyone to own and operate a wireless network for low-power Internet of Things devices and the Helium miner provides hundreds of square miles of connectivity and can transmit data at a fraction of the cost of a cellular network.
If you are thinking about what kind of devices can use the helium miner, then you should know that everything from tracking scooters, to soil sensors in farms, to tracking the water level of bottles in water coolers.
So anyone can use the helium miner, which works on existing Internet of things hardware and also to create lots of different products.
For a helium miner to work properly, a PoC (Proof-of-Coverage) is needed.
Which means that Helium hotspot does not require much setup and while mining, it enables several ways to earn Helium’s crypto.
Firstly, Helium miners utilize radio waves that work as the validation and help to prove that a certain hotspot really provides network coverage for smart devices, so each node then gets rewarded with HNTs for contribution.
Secondly, each Helium miner works by earning Helium Tokens for sending data through the hotspot’s network, this means that the more data gets transferred, the higher and the crypto currency earnings.
So to fully enable Helium mining features, each hotspot miner has to use what is called Date Credits, these data credits are dollar-pegged tokens with a fixed value of $0.00001, they are however fundamental in the Helium network and they act similarly as a prepaid mobile plan’s top-up.
And also the hotspot user pays in Data Credits for sending information to the internet from hundreds of smart devices.
These data credits are created by burning Helium Tokens, which means that the more Data Credits are used, the more deflationary the crypto currency become.
One of the biggest factors increasing the legitimacy of the Helium network is the expansion of
the network of nodes that surpassed 100,000 last year. The increasing demand for hotspots has
resulted in more than 50 hotspot producer applications being submitted through the Helium
Improvement Proposal 19 (HIP-19) process, and this indicates that the number of hotspots may
continue to increase in the future.
The network growth has been further supported by the introduction of new types of hotspots,
including “Light” hotspots and data-only hotspots. Since last year, nodes were operating on the
Helium network, with the highest concentrations found in the United States, Europe, and China.
New data partners join the network
Another bullish factor behind HNT's recent move is the expansion of its list of data partners
using the low-cost network. The latest company to join the Helium network for its data
management needs is Anoxia, a company that develops GPS trackers for individuals and
businesses.
Some other companies that use the Helium network to track everything from farm information to
temperature readings include Sales force, Conserve, Smart Mimic, and my Devices. As the number
of operational nodes grows to offer wider network coverage for low-cost data tracking, more
companies are likely to use the network.
