🎭Key Pollen Network Actors
Last updated
Last updated
The Pollen Mobile network consists of the following key actors:
Network Providers (“Flowers”): Flowers are cellular radios / antennas. When connected to the internet, Flowers provide wireless coverage and earn their owners USD and $PCN, in return for the coverage provided and data hauled for end users. Flower ownership is registered via a Non-Fungible Token (“NFT”) that resides in the owner’s digital wallet.
End Users (“Birds”): Birds are end user equipment (“UE”), such as mobile phones, that can utilize the Pollen network for mobile connectivity. In the US, CBRS compatible devices can download a Pollen eSIM or purchase a physical SIM (both generically can be referred to as a “SIM”) that enables them to become a Bird and connect to the Pollen network. SIMs are also associated with an NFT and receive $PCN rewards for utilizing the network.
Validators (“Bees”): Bees validate network coverage for Pollen, as well as other networks, by reporting coverage statistics as they move through the physical world. Data reported may include date / time, GPS location, and network traffic statistics (e.g., ping times, upload / download speeds, signal strength) in addition to their own unique identifier and the unique identifiers of radios for which coverage is verified.
Bee owners are rewarded with $PCN for their weekly network validation activities. Like Flowers, Bee ownership is registered via a Non-Fungible Token.
Pollen Operating Company (“Opco”): The organization (Pollen Mobile LLC) that will guide development of and manage the network. Pollen Opco will serve as the Mobile Core Administrator.
Pollen Foundation (“Foundation”): Opco is currently re-evaluating the role of the Foundation in conjunction with the launch of Paid Data.
Pollen Enhanced Decentralized Autonomous Organization (“eDAO”): Opco is currently re-evaluating the role of the eDAO in conjunction with the launch of Paid Data.
Mobile Core Administrator(s): The Mobile Core is the collection of services that serve as the “operating system” of a mobile network, and is managed by the Mobile Core Administrator. The Mobile Core facilitates activities such as authenticating authorized devices / users on the network, tracking user data consumption, and routing data / calls through the network.
The Mobile Core Administrator is also responsible for managing the Spectrum Access Service (“SAS”) necessary to comply with the FCC’s CBRS rules, as well as processing the per-Flower monthly payments charged by SAS providers.
We segment the Mobile Core Administrator’s responsibilities into three distinct categories:
Network Infrastructure Management: Includes maintaining the Mobile Core software infrastructure, payments processing, managing the Internet Egress Privacy Service, managing / processing payments to the SAS, and providing customer / technical support.
Identity Management: Pollen Subscriber Identity Modules (physical cards inserted into mobile devices, also known as “SIMs”) and Embedded SIMs (also known as “eSIMs”; both can be generically referred to as a “SIM”) are created and issued by a commercial provider of SIMs.
SIMs contain an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (“IMSI”) number, which is used to uniquely identify / authenticate user equipment (“UE”) in order to provide network access and track data consumption for billing purposes. The SIM also enables encrypted communications within the network. The Mobile Core Administrator will maintain the IMSI mapping to each SIM’s associated NFT.
Billing Management: The Mobile Core Administrator tracks network utilization and manages all payments via the Mobile Core’s billing functionality.
