Frequently asked.

Relay enumerates as a standard CDC-ECM ethernet adapter. macOS has shipped that driver natively since Catalina 10.15 (2019). Your Mac sees a wired ethernet connection and routes traffic accordingly — no third-party kext, no permissions dialog, no carrier app on the critical path. It works the same way Apple's own USB-C-to-Ethernet adapter works.

Insert a nano-SIM. Plug into USB-C. Wait about three seconds. You're online. There is no app to install, no website to log into, no captcha. The longer version lives at relay5g.com/start.

An optional menu-bar app is in development — signal, current band, and data usage at a glance. It's a nice-to-have, not a requirement: Relay works without it, forever, and we'll never put an app on the critical path.

Honest answer: we don't have field numbers to publish yet — our first boards are in bring-up right now, and we'll post real measured throughput as soon as we have it. What we can tell you: Relay uses 5G RedCap, which tops out at a theoretical 223 Mbps down / 123 Mbps up. Real-world RedCap throughput is typically in the tens of Mbps depending on signal and network load — comfortably enough for video calls, cloud docs, SSH, and everything a work session actually needs. Relay isn't built to win speed tests. It's built so your Mac is always online — without a hotspot, without drained phone batteries, without café Wi-Fi.

Every MacBook with a USB-C port — that's every Apple Silicon MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, plus USB-C Intel models (2016 and later). macOS Catalina 10.15 or newer is required; that's where native CDC-ECM support begins.

Expected to — but we won't say "yes" until we've tested it. iPadOS treats USB-C ethernet adapters as real wired connections, and Relay enumerates as exactly that. iPad is part of the validated-compatibility matrix we publish during certification.

Relay speaks standard USB networking, which all three understand — so they're expected to work, and full cross-platform validation runs during certification. We'll publish the tested matrix, OS by OS, rather than claim day-one support for platforms we haven't verified yet. macOS is the primary, native target.

After Mac launch. Relay speaks standard CDC-ECM, so modern Android devices with USB-host support should work — but we won't claim support until we've validated it per-OEM. Mac hardware ships Q2–Q3 2027; Android validation follows.

Relay is carrier-unlocked with a standard nano-SIM tray. At US launch we support AT&T and T-Mobile — the two US carriers with nationwide 5G Standalone, which Relay's 5G RedCap modem requires. Verizon's 5G SA rollout is still limited, so Verizon is not supported at launch — we'd rather tell you now than surprise you later. MVNOs riding AT&T or T-Mobile are expected to work. Internationally, Relay works on 5G SA networks with LTE Cat 4 fallback. A full carrier/band chart ships before the product does. The R1 uses a physical nano-SIM only — there is no consumer eSIM, and we won't promise one until we can ship it for real.

No. We will never lock Relay to a carrier. It's a principle, not a marketing line — see the manifesto.

Yes — data-only SIMs work, as long as they ride on AT&T or T-Mobile (for example, Mint Mobile on T-Mobile's network). Note that Visible rides Verizon's network, so it isn't supported at launch.

Yes — roaming is handled by your SIM's carrier, not by us. If your plan covers a country and a 5G SA network (or LTE, for fallback) is available to it there, Relay will work.

Relay draws at most 4.5 W from the USB-C bus during peak downlink — less than fast-charging a pair of earbuds — and much less when idle. There is no internal battery to discharge, or to swell.

Passive, silent, sealed — the enclosure is designed to spread modem heat across its full surface and stay warm-to-the-touch under sustained load. No fan, no vent. Final thermal design and measured numbers will be published as we finish validation.

Designed to meet IPX4 splash resistance — ratings will be published after certification testing. Either way: not for swimming. The USB-C connector itself is the limiting factor.

The PC/ABS V-0 enclosure is designed to a 1.2 m drop target onto hardwood — like the IPX4 target, the rating gets published once testing confirms it. We'd rather you didn't drop it. There's a Dyneema sleeve in the box for a reason.

FCC authorization is in progress. The module inside Relay (Quectel RG255C-GL) is FCC-certified; host-device certification for Relay itself is underway. Nothing ships — and no payment is collected — before Relay's own grant. That's the law, and it's also just the right way to do it.

Q2–Q3 2027, after FCC, CE, IC, and PTCRB certification. Every intermediate milestone is targeted for 2027 and gated on certification. We don't fake-ship to hit a quarter.

Not today — reservations are free and we don't ask for a card. After certification, you'll get a one-click confirmation email to complete your order with payment, address, and finish. Nothing is processed before that, and payment settles only when your unit enters the packing line.

The US first — that's what FCC authorization covers. Canada, EU, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan follow as their respective certifications land.

Yes — reservations are free and cancellable at any time with one click. If certification slips past Q4 2027, we'll proactively email everyone a cancel-with-one-click link, before you have to ask.

The Relay R1 module, a 15 cm braided USB-C extender, a nano-SIM tray pin, a quickstart card, and a Dyneema sleeve. Data plan is your responsibility — Relay is carrier-unlocked and never paired to an account.

One year, limited, from Sovereign ATX LLC. If Relay fails under normal use within a year of delivery, we repair or replace it. Out of warranty, we repair at cost for as long as we have parts. Returns: 30 days from delivery, full refund. Reservations are free and cancel anytime. Full terms: relay5g.com/warranty.

A human at Relay — usually Kavin. We don't outsource support.

Yes — signed firmware updates over USB, with a signed manifest published for every release. Update tooling ships with the product; no account required.

We see no traffic. Relay is a network adapter, not a service — there's no telemetry by default, no account, and nothing phones home. Any future opt-in diagnostics would cover crash reports only — never traffic content or destination.