Then it sure sounds like what they have is a proof of private keys algo, and not a proof of coverage algo. In which case why bother with a blockchain at all if there's a singular central entity that is the arbiter of all trust?
This is one of more interesting parts of the Helium network. It's wholly not forkable. Helium hotspot owners get their firmware updated automatically... which again seems like a big negative (single company controlled hardware) but it's imperative for this stage of network bootstrapping. I want Helium to tightly control quality now to get to a level of resources where trust itself can be disaggregated amongst DIY hotspots and firmware developers.
- An organization different from Helium Inc. disperses keys to hardware manufacturers.
- Said independent org also performs an audit and approval process.
- Improvements to the network are crowdsourced and voted by rough consensus.
- Anybody can make suggestions or implementations similar to ethereum improvement proposals.
- Once deployed, there is no way to remove the node from the network.
- Nobody has banning or revocation abilities.