Pollen Mobile's recent decision to abandon the original crypto model has left investors in radio hardware scrambling for answers. The community's valiant efforts to salvage the project were met with a lack of support from Pollen Mobile, leaving many wondering if their expensive radio equipment will become nothing more than e-waste.
This twitter thread from Andrew Fisher provides some background on what happened, and what the future might hold.
We tried our best to reach an amicable solution. After all the effort it seems like @PollenMobile isn’t interested in finding a path forward that involves crypto as an incentive model. Here is a 🧵 on why I believe this complicates the issues for Pollen instead of fixing them
— Andrew Fisher - AndrewFisher.eth (🎈’ 🐝) (@IamAndrewFisher) February 28, 2023
1/x https://t.co/HAhOxxWL2v
Since mid-2022, I have been drawing attention to the fundamental flaws in the Pollen Mobile and Helium 5G projects. My biggest concern is that without a clear and practical utility for these networks, the radio hardware will become nothing more than expensive e-waste.
The staggering amount of investment by individual operators into these projects demands a solution that can use the radio hardware and its capabilities. It's unacceptable for it to become yet another example of wasteful electronic devices piling up in landfills.
There is also the ? of e-waste and energy use. LoRa hostspot/miners are minimal energy users in comparison to ETH or Bitcoin miners. High power outdoor Helium 5G radios use far more. If they're not being used to carry traffic, is it better than Bitcoin mining with coal? /3
— JR 🇺🇦 (@rollinson) July 25, 2022
Seeing my predictions come to fruition is disheartening, but there's still hope for the individuals and organizations who have invested over $6 million in Pollen Mobile radio equipment. We must find a way to repurpose this hardware and prevent it from ending in landfills.
In the coming weeks, I will document my progress in creating a DIY private mobile network that can provide real utility. Although I cannot guarantee the outcome, I'm hopeful that sharing this journey will inspire others and bring about positive change.
It's time to take action and find practical solutions that leverage the full potential of this hardware. Let's work together to create a sustainable future and ensure that valuable resources like these radio devices are used to their fullest potential. The journey starts now, so let's get to work!
Step 1. Releasing the radio hardware from the Pollen Mobile network and resetting it to factory default.
I purchased this used Pollen Mobile Dandelion kit via eBay and will be requesting the release and reset via this form.
If successful, I will have a factory default unit that can be used with a different mobile core or EPC.
Stay tuned for details on my progress, I'll add a link to the next post in this series once I have more to share.