# Ecosystem

Anyone can participate and are incentivized based on their contributions within the community and development of the Uplink ecosystem and network. Several actors are involved in the system, as listed in Table 1. Each actor plays a different role in the design, yet sometimes overlapping. This means that the same person or entity may assume several positions within the ecosystem, such as an entity or MVNOs acting as a Consumer, Verifier, Investor, Surge Elector, and possibly others. 

*Table 1: Roles in the Uplink Ecosystem*

<table><thead><tr><th width="218">Role</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Consumer</strong></td><td>Purchases data from the Uplink ecosystem. The consumer could be an individual or an enterprise with multiple devices.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Provider</strong></td><td>Deploys gateways to provide wireless connectivity to data consumers. The providers are responsible for ensuring QoS and uptime, for which they are rewarded.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Verifier</strong></td><td>Verifies whether provider deployments are active through proof of density.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Validator</strong></td><td>Processes and verifies proof and blockchain transactions.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Voters</strong></td><td>Members in the Uplink community who purchase and stake ULX tokens in return for governance on strategic problem solving rights.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Alliances</strong></td><td>Uplink partners who support the Uplink network needs in various matters such as industry standards, adoption, financing programs for deployments and innovation.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Surge Elector</strong></td><td>A consumer on the network that elects areas unserved of coverage</td></tr><tr><td><strong>OEM</strong></td><td>Hardware manufacturers that integrate Uplink solutions. </td></tr><tr><td><strong>Backhaul Creator</strong></td><td>Professionalized providers that source bulk connectivity deals and install backhauls.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Community Developer</strong></td><td>Community members who contribute to the Uplink code base.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Oracles</strong></td><td>Connect blockchains to external systems, enabling smart contracts to execute based on inputs and outputs from existing servers or devices. Oracles are responsible for monitoring ULX and fiat conversion rates.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Core Developer</strong></td><td>Internally accountable for maintaining and improving the system.</td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Community</strong></p><p><strong>Builder</strong></p></td><td>Contributes to the development of the Uplink community through technical publications, vlogging, lobbying, code, or other sources.</td></tr></tbody></table>

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To learn more about the Uplink ecosystem, how to participate and contribute to the decentralized internet, join our [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/HyTTj6AsFK) server.


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