What is Helium Coverage Mapping?

What is Helium Coverage Mapping?

The Helium Coverage Mapping tool is a crowd-sourced effort to build a true-signal coverage map of the Helium network across the globe. This is similar to looking at a cell phone carrier's coverage map like Verizon or T-Mobile before signing up, but for users on the Helium Network. By mapping real-world coverage, network users can better understand where sensor deployments are likely to work given hotspot placements.

View the Mappers data here: https://mappers.helium.com/

This tool allows you to see areas that have LoRaWAN coverage, the signal strength, and hotspot redundancy. This can be a useful tool for tracking the network coverage and robustness in a given area, identifying areas where coverage is lacking, or even where hotspot placements could be improved.

How Does a Mapper Work?

Participants use a low-cost LoRaWAN device to survey the real-world network using a GPS location and LoRa radio. Users simply bring the mapper with them when surveying an area, driving a car, riding a bike, or just taking a walk. The coverage mappers assembled by Maritime Blockchain LLC are small, light, and fit in your pocket, on your car dash, or in a cup holder. The mapper sends out an encoded GPS location to any nearby Helium gateways and populates the coverage map based on the parameters verifying where there is Helium network coverage.

How Can I use Mappers for My Own Use?

Sensor Deployments

Using the existing coverage map or taking a mapper to an area where you want to deploy sensors, this will give you an idea on the coverage in that given area where sensors will be able to connect to the internet. This will also display hotspot redundancy when multiple hotspots receive the mappers GPS location and data transfer. Redundancy is beneficial as a network user because you don't have to rely on a single point on contact to the internet for your sensor deployments. Having multiple access points will ensure that your devices stay connected if one hotspot goes offline.

Hotspot Deployments

For hotspot owners and network providers, mappers give valuable information as to how far your hotspot's signal reaches, and if it is operating as expected. Mappers are able to give more detailed information to your network's performance and coverage. You can also use this data to help you plan your placements and find new locations for hotspots.

How Do I Get Started with Mapping?

Maritime Blockchain LLC has made contributing to the Helium Mapping project easy by taking care of the semi-technically challenging part of assembling, programming, and 3D printing an enclosure for the units. Each device comes with a unique key used to onboard to the user's Helium Console account. Here the device can be onboarded to the Helium Network, as would any sensor device. Data Credits (DC) can be purchased and used to send data over the network like paying for a carrier's plan per usage, except the payment is sent to the hotspot owner who is transferring the data. When creating an account for the first time, the account with be credited with 10,000 free DC. Even this small amount will last quite a while, as it is extremely cheap to operate devices on the Helium Network compared to other existing networks. Upon purchasing a Helium Mapper from us, a step-by-step guide will also be provided to help in onboarding the device to the Helium Console to make the process as seamless as possible for you.