When building a reliable network, coverage verification is key. So important that Verizon built an entire campaign around it.

With Pollen, we thought about different ways to verify the strength of the network as simply as possible. One option was to handle the verification on the phone — the thing that we all carry around in our pockets all day, every day — either directly on the phone itself or as an applet on the SIM. But this would drain the battery, expose the phone’s location, compromise security, and generally be very annoying because there are limitations on GPS running in the background.

People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware. — Alan Kay

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Enter The Bumblebee

The solution we landed on was to create a custom-built device that’s optimized for mapping Pollen Mobile coverage, and we call it the Bumblebee.

Bumblebees are small embedded Linux devices with built-in LTE and GPS antennas and a Pollen SIM that are designed to connect to Flowers as they move around the world and record statistics such as location, ping times, upload / download speeds, signal strength, etc. In addition, Bumblebees can include SIM cards from other networks to map their coverage, which is helpful insight when looking to optimize your network build.

Key Bumblebee Specs:

• Linux OS
• AM3358 ARM processor
• 4GB Flash storage and 512MB RAM
• Integrated Sierra Wireless MC7411 LTE modem
• Taoglas 600–6000MHz 4G/5G antennas with 60% efficiency and -98dBm sensitivity in the CBRS band
• Integrated Ublox Max-8 GPS/GLONASS chip (-166dBm sensitivity) with Taoglas patch antenna
• Requires 10W power supplied through USB-C

Coverage statistics are reported back to the Pollen network and used to identify strengths and weaknesses in our network to support future buildouts. All information reported by Bumblebees is available on the Pollen Mobile Explorer, so that anyone can identify an opportunity to grow the network by planting new Flowers.