The Mission
Approximately 3.5 billion people on Earth lack reliable internet connectivity. Traditional cell tower infrastructure is expensive, requires specialized installation, and depends on fiber backhaul that simply doesn't exist in remote areas. Beamlink is working to change that with portable cell towers the size of a lunchbox.
I did the full-stack engineering for Beamlink's cellular mesh networking platform, building the software that manages, provisions, and monitors these revolutionary devices.
The Hardware: Bentocells
Beamlink's Bentocells are small cell towers that consume about as much power as a lightbulb, cover approximately 2km range, and handle 200+ simultaneous connections. They're software-defined, supporting 4G LTE (3GPP Release 17) and 5G NR (Release 18), with the ability to update to future protocols via firmware.
The killer feature is wireless mesh backhaul — Bentocells interconnect with each other without requiring fiber or satellite at each site. Automated X2 handover protocols enable seamless user transitions between cells with no technician input.
The Platform
The management platform I built handles everything from initial device provisioning to real-time network monitoring. Key components include:
Device Provisioning: The platform manages software-defined radio configuration and network registration for new Bentocells, streamlining the process of bringing cells online without requiring specialized technician expertise.
Network Monitoring & Analytics: Real-time dashboards show cell health, connection counts, bandwidth usage, and mesh topology. Operators can see their entire network at a glance.
Remote Deployment Management: Cells can be configured, updated, and troubleshot remotely, which is critical when your devices are deployed in hard-to-reach locations.
The Tech Stack
The platform is built with Ruby on Rails on the backend and Nuxt/Vue on the frontend. PostgreSQL handles the relational data, and the system integrates deeply with IoT protocols for device communication. The multi-protocol support (4G/5G) and mesh networking topology required careful data modeling to represent the complex relationships between cells, networks, and subscribers.
Impact
Working on Beamlink was one of the most meaningful engineering experiences of my career. Every technical decision — from database schema design to API response times — had real implications for connectivity in underserved communities. When a Bentocell goes online in a remote village, real people get access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity for the first time.
Designed and Built in California
Beamlink was designed and built in California with a vision of democratizing network deployment. The goal is to enable individuals and organizations to build carrier-grade networks without the traditional barriers of cost, expertise, and infrastructure.