According to a report by CoinDesk, the surge in MOBILE token prices is driving new user registrations for the decentralized 5G telecommunications service Helium Mobile, but it is also attracting a large number of suspicious accounts. On Monday, Helium Mobile adjusted the cryptocurrency reward payment rules for its mobile plan.
Helium Mobile’s mobile service operates by combining T-Mobile base stations and Helium’s own hotspots (hosted by individuals), with hotspot operators receiving MOBILE tokens as rewards. Subscribers who choose to join Helium Mobile’s location tracking service will also receive tokens. This reward mechanism theoretically helps guide the placement of new hotspots to improve network coverage.
According to the company’s updated terms of service on December 18, new subscribers of Helium Mobile must wait 8 days to receive the MOBILE tokens they earned by sharing their location through Discovery Mapping. This change is aimed at addressing the growing pains of Helium’s partially crowdsourced network. Since its launch in the United States in early December, the number of new users of this low-cost mobile solution has surged, and its unique cryptocurrency reward payment mechanism has also piqued users’ interest.
Currently, Helium Mobile subscribers using Discovery Mapping can earn over 2,000 MOBILE tokens per day, enough to cover the $20 monthly fee for the Helium Mobile phone plan within two days.
With MOBILE prices skyrocketing (up over 2000% this month), Helium Mobile and its mapping service have attracted tens of thousands of new customers. According to data website Helium Geek, over 6,700 wallets received MOBILE rewards on Sunday, more than double the number from a week ago.
Coco Tang, Product Director of Helium Mobile’s parent company Nova Labs, stated on Discord on Monday afternoon: “Helium Mobile has so many registered users, some of whom appear more suspicious than others.”
Apparently, some customers cancel the mobile plan after receiving MOBILE tokens within seven days, and receive a full refund and potentially hundreds of dollars worth of MOBILE tokens. The changes will prevent users from exploiting loopholes in the system.