Reward Multipliers indicate usefulness of the coverage in a particular location (hex). The Reward Multiplier layer includes data from both Oracle and Service Provider Hex Boosting:
1. Oracle Hex Boosting – calculated using data from Urbanization, Footfall, and Land Type data oracles. Each hex is assigned a value from each of the oracles, and the combination of assignments determines the Reward Multiplier for that location.
2. Service Provider Hex Boosting – applied to specific hexes that are selected by service providers and can range from 1x to 100x. Helium Mobile uses information from Discovery Mapping and third-party sources to select which hexes to boost.
Service Provider Hex Boosting overrides any Oracle Reward Multipliers that would otherwise be applied. Once Service Provider Hex Boosting expires, the Oracle Reward Multiplier becomes active for that location. You can learn more about Boosted Locations here.
HIP 103 (Oracle Hex Boosting) and HIP 84 (Service Provider Hex Boosting) explain how Reward Multipliers are calculated. Helium Improvement Proposals (HIPs) are voted on by the Helium Community and are subject to change due to the decentralized nature of the network, which is governed by an active global community of users and deployers.
What are Urbanization, Footfall, and Land Type ratings?
HIP103 explains programmatic incentives for deployers when they build new coverage in valuable locations. Coverage Planner displays the breakdown of Oracle Hex Boosting assignments in the detailed view for each hex.
Urbanization. Hex can have A, B, or C assignments based on Urbanization Oracle data:
A - Urban area;
B - Non-urban area;
C - Outside of the USA. Main source of data for Urbanization Oracle is United States Census Bureau's urban-rural classification as defined here.
Urbanized areas typically have more devices and people needing network services. Placing Hotspots in these areas can help ensure better coverage and higher usage, improving the overall network performance and reliability.
Footfall. Hex can have A, B, or C assignments based on Footfall Oracle data:
A - Point of Interest (POI) with footfall traffic ≥ 1;
B - POI without footfall traffic;
Footfall rating is a proxy for people walking through a particular area and can help determine attractive locations for installing Hotspots. More foot traffic often means more data being transmitted, which may boost network activity and earnings for Hotspot owners.
Land Type. Hex can have A, B, or C assignments based on Land Type Oracle data:
A - Built-up;
B - Tree cover, Shrubland, Grassland;
C - Cropland, Water, etc.
Main sources of data for Land Type Oracle is the European Space Agency’s WorldCover project.
The resulting multiplier is derived from the combination of Urbanization, Footfall and Land Type assignments. Mapping of assignments and multipliers can be found here.