Exploring the cost of coverage for the Internet of Things

Citizens across the globe are recognizing the benefits of embracing actualized autonomy. The centralization of the world’s digital communications systems and networks has in too many instances handed the tools of exploitation, oppression, and manipulation to increasingly powerful states and non-state actors. The overt censorship and suppression of ideas, systems, and platforms consolidated and governed by a privileged few is an objectionable and dangerous standard for proposed democracies which embrace open discourse. The fundamental foundation of decentralization is built atop this looming imposition to individual’s inherent, indissoluble, freedoms. My underlying belief is that these tensions ultimately beget innovation and adoption out of forced necessity.

Despite this gradual collective awakening, the common individual lacks the tools to entirely opt out of the centralization funnel. We’ve conjointly made tweaks along the way — using secure messaging, installing privacy friendly browsers, and going full anon behind VPNs. Our need to reclaim and control our data has given rise to a booming digital privacy industry. But how private is it? Do these precautions actually muzzle the big data technocrats eager to seize your secrets?

Despite considerable efforts, there always seems to be a bigger fish. In other words, there’s a hierarchy:

apps > hardware providers > network providers > military > governments

Privacy tools seem to be slowly making their way through this hierarchy.

DeWi, or Decentralized Wireless, has been poised to revolutionize the wireless industry since 2018 and promises to deliver a private, cheaper, and decentralized network to the world. Through varying unconventional approaches, companies like Helium and Pollen have built out their own networks with built in user incentive models.

apps > hardware providers > network providers > military > governments

Privacy tools seem to be slowly making their way through this hierarchy.

DeWi, or Decentralized Wireless, has been poised to revolutionize the wireless industry since 2018 and promises to deliver a private, cheaper, and decentralized network to the world. DeWi is driven by the ability to build wireless infrastructures without having to rely on a single central actor. Through varying unconventional approaches, companies like Helium and Pollen have built out their own networks with built in user incentive models.

Helium is a global network of Hotspots that create public, long-range wireless coverage for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Hotspots are deployed via a global community, providing access to your connectable devices. Hotspots mine and are rewarded in the native cryptocurrency of the Helium blockchain, or HNT. The blockchain is an open source, public chain that incentivizes the creation of physical, decentralized wireless networks.

Through blockchain incentives, Helium has built a people powered network that currently covers 10% of the globe, without any overhead infrastructure costs. By selling a $100 LoRa (Long Range) wireless transmitter, users were able to deploy a node while earning HNT and participating in the expansion of the decentralized network. LoRa is a wireless technology that offers long-range, low power, and secure data transmission for M2M (Machine to Machine) and IoT applications. Anyone can plug in and connect to devices and data in ways never before possible, at a fraction of the cost.

Pollen, a competitor to Helium, does not use cell data and is a data only network. You can’t send traditional texts or phone calls, rather, the network uses a purely data based app, making for a more secure and private network.

The Pollen ecosystem runs on three types of hardware: Flowers, Bumblebees, and Hummingbirds.

Flowers are mobile network antennas that are connected to your home or business internet connection. When Pollen-enabled devices (cell phones) connect to a Flower, the Flower is rewarded for connecting to the internet and hauling data to the user’s phone.

Bumblebees are small, portable devices that validate the Pollen network. They come with built-in LTE connectivity and GPS antennas. They validate network coverage by reporting network coverage statistics as they move through the physical world.3 Bumblebees collect metadata (not network throughput data) from Flowers, including signal strength, internet connection speed, and GPS location. Simply, Bumblebees do proof of coverage for the network.

Hummingbirds use an eSIM to connect your cellphone to the network. An eSIM is a digital SIM that allows you to activate a cellular plan from your carrier without having to use a physical nano-SIM. It allows your phone to switch to a secondary network without having to change the physical SIM card.

The race for bootstrapped, crypto-incentivized, peer to peer networks, continues to flame. However, both DeWi underdogs have expressed their need to ally with large legacy providers to ensure optimal coverage and strategic investment. These partnerships raise questions on the true decentralized nature of DeWi. Time will tell if these scrappy, people facilitated networks will become another link in the centralized chain or a step toward autonomy.

Exploring the cost of coverage for the Internet of Things

Citizens across the globe are recognizing the benefits of embracing actualized autonomy. The centralization of the world’s digital communications systems and networks has in too many instances handed the tools of exploitation, oppression, and manipulation to increasingly powerful states and non-state actors. The overt censorship and suppression of ideas, systems, and platforms consolidated and governed by a privileged few is an objectionable and dangerous standard for proposed democracies which embrace open discourse. The fundamental foundation of decentralization is built atop this looming imposition to individual’s inherent, indissoluble, freedoms. My underlying belief is that these tensions ultimately beget innovation and adoption out of forced necessity.

Despite this gradual collective awakening, the common individual lacks the tools to entirely opt out of the centralization funnel. We’ve conjointly made tweaks along the way — using secure messaging, installing privacy friendly browsers, and going full anon behind VPNs. Our need to reclaim and control our data has given rise to a booming digital privacy industry. But how private is it? Do these precautions actually muzzle the big data technocrats eager to seize your secrets?

Despite considerable efforts, there always seems to be a bigger fish. In other words, there’s a hierarchy:

apps > hardware providers > network providers > military > governments

Privacy tools seem to be slowly making their way through this hierarchy.

DeWi, or Decentralized Wireless, has been poised to revolutionize the wireless industry since 2018 and promises to deliver a private, cheaper, and decentralized network to the world. Through varying unconventional approaches, companies like Helium and Pollen have built out their own networks with built in user incentive models.

apps > hardware providers > network providers > military > governments

Privacy tools seem to be slowly making their way through this hierarchy.

DeWi, or Decentralized Wireless, has been poised to revolutionize the wireless industry since 2018 and promises to deliver a private, cheaper, and decentralized network to the world. DeWi is driven by the ability to build wireless infrastructures without having to rely on a single central actor. Through varying unconventional approaches, companies like Helium and Pollen have built out their own networks with built in user incentive models.

Helium is a global network of Hotspots that create public, long-range wireless coverage for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Hotspots are deployed via a global community, providing access to your connectable devices. Hotspots mine and are rewarded in the native cryptocurrency of the Helium blockchain, or HNT. The blockchain is an open source, public chain that incentivizes the creation of physical, decentralized wireless networks.

Through blockchain incentives, Helium has built a people powered network that currently covers 10% of the globe, without any overhead infrastructure costs. By selling a $100 LoRa (Long Range) wireless transmitter, users were able to deploy a node while earning HNT and participating in the expansion of the decentralized network. LoRa is a wireless technology that offers long-range, low power, and secure data transmission for M2M (Machine to Machine) and IoT applications. Anyone can plug in and connect to devices and data in ways never before possible, at a fraction of the cost.

Pollen, a competitor to Helium, does not use cell data and is a data only network. You can’t send traditional texts or phone calls, rather, the network uses a purely data based app, making for a more secure and private network.

The Pollen ecosystem runs on three types of hardware: Flowers, Bumblebees, and Hummingbirds.

Flowers are mobile network antennas that are connected to your home or business internet connection. When Pollen-enabled devices (cell phones) connect to a Flower, the Flower is rewarded for connecting to the internet and hauling data to the user’s phone.

Bumblebees are small, portable devices that validate the Pollen network. They come with built-in LTE connectivity and GPS antennas. They validate network coverage by reporting network coverage statistics as they move through the physical world.3 Bumblebees collect metadata (not network throughput data) from Flowers, including signal strength, internet connection speed, and GPS location. Simply, Bumblebees do proof of coverage for the network.

Hummingbirds use an eSIM to connect your cellphone to the network. An eSIM is a digital SIM that allows you to activate a cellular plan from your carrier without having to use a physical nano-SIM. It allows your phone to switch to a secondary network without having to change the physical SIM card.

The race for bootstrapped, crypto-incentivized, peer to peer networks, continues to flame. However, both DeWi underdogs have expressed their need to ally with large legacy providers to ensure optimal coverage and strategic investment. These partnerships raise questions on the true decentralized nature of DeWi. Time will tell if these scrappy, people facilitated networks will become another link in the centralized chain or a step toward autonomy.