When Marc Alan Sperber, of Arizona State University’s Education for Humanity initiative arrived at a refugee camp along the Thai–Myanmar border, the scene was typical of many crisis zones: no internet, unreliable power, and few resources. But within minutes, he and local NGO partners were able to set up a full-featured digital classroom using nothing more than a solar panel and a yellow device the size of a soup can.
Students equipped with only basic smartphones and old tablets were accessing content through Beekee, a Swiss-built lightweight standalone microserver that can turn any location into an offline first, pop-up digital classroom.
While international initiatives like Giga try to connect every school to the Internet, the timeline and cost remain hard to predict. And even then, according to Unesco’s Global Education Monitoring Report, keeping schools in low-income countries online could run up to a billion dollars a day.
Beekee, founded by Vincent Widmer and Sergio Estupiñán during their PhD studies at the educational technology department of the University of Geneva, seeks to bridge the connectivity gap through its easy-to-deploy device.
At the core of Beekee’s box is a Raspberry Pi-based microserver, enclosed in a ventilated 3D-printed, thermoresistant, plastic shell. Optimized for passive and active cooling, weather resilience, and field repairs, it can withstand heat in arid climates like that of Jordan and northern Kenya.
With its devices often deployed in remote regions, where repair options are few, Beekee supplies 3D print-friendly STL and G-code files to partners, enabling them to fabricate replacement parts on a 3D printer. “We’ve seen them use recycled plastic filament in Kenya and Lebanon to print replacement parts within days,” says Estupiñán.
The device consumes less than 10 watts of power, making it easy to run for over 12 hours on an inexpensive 20,000 milliamp-hour (mAh) power bank. Alternately, Beekee can run on compact solar panels, where battery backup can provide up to two hours even on a cloudy day or at night. “This kind of energy efficiency is essential,” says Marcel Hertel of GIZ, the German development agency that uses Beekee in Indonesia as a digital learning platform, accessible to farmers in remote areas for training. “We work where even charging a phone is a challenge,” he says.
The device runs on a custom Linux distribution and open-source software stack. Its Wi-Fi hotspot has a 40-meter range, providing coverage enough for two adjacent classrooms or a small courtyard. Up to 40 learners can connect simultaneously using their smartphones, tablets, or laptops, without apps or internet access needed. Beekee’s interface is browser-based.
However, the yellow box isn’t meant to replace the internet. It’s designed to complement it, using available bandwidth for syncing whenever available via 3G or 4G connections.
Although in many deployment zones, 3G/4G connectivity exists but is fragile. Mobile networks suffer from speed caps, high data costs, and congestion. Streaming educational content or relying on cloud platforms becomes impractical. But satellite-based internet connectivity, including emerging LEO satellite providers like Starlink, still provide windows of opportunity to download and upload content on the yellow box.
Beekee’s replacement part 3D design files can be used for remotely repairing the organization’s rugged e-learning boxes, using only a screwdriver and a 3D printer. Beekee
Offline Moodle for E-Learning
Beekee hosts e-learning tools for teachers and students, offering an offline Moodle instance—an open-source learning management system. Via Moodle, educators can use Scorm packages and H5P modules, technical standards commonly used to package and deliver e-learning material.
“Beekee is designed to interoperate with existing training platforms,” says Estupiñán. “We sync learner progress, content updates, and analytics without changing how an organization already works.”
Beekee also comes with Open Educational Resources (OER), including Offline Wikipedia, Khan Academy videos in multiple languages, and curated instructional content. “We don’t want just to deliver content,” says Estupiñán, “but also create a collaborative, engaging learning environment.”
Before turning to Beekee, some organizations attempted to create their own offline learning platforms or worked with third-party developers.
Some of them overlooked realities like extreme heat, power outages, and near-zero internet bandwidth—while others tried solutions that were essentially file libraries masquerading as learning platforms.
“Most standalone systems don’t support remote updates or syncing of learner data and analytics,” says Sperber. “They delivered PDFs, not actual learning experiences that include interactive practice, assessment, feedback, or anything of the like.”
Additionally, many of the systems lacked sustainable maintenance strategies and devices broke down under field conditions. “The tech might have looked sleek, but when things failed, there was no repair plan,” says Estupiñán. “We designed Beekee so that even non-specialist users could fix things with a screwdriver and a local 3D printer.”
Beekee runs its own production line using a 3D printer farm in Geneva, capable of producing up to 30 custom units per day. But it doesn’t make only hardware, It also offers training, instructional design support, and ongoing technical help. “The real challenge isn’t just getting technology into the field, it’s keeping it running,” says Estupiñán.
The Next Frontier: Offline AI
Future plans include integrating small language models (SLMs) directly into the box. A lightweight AI engine could automate tasks like grading, flagging conceptual errors, or supporting teachers with localized lesson plans.
“Offline AI is the next big step,” says Estupiñán. “It lets us bring intelligent support to teachers who may be isolated, undertrained, or overwhelmed.”
Beekee has partnered with more than 40 organizations across nearly 30 countries. Founded five years ago and, has now a team of seven. The company recently joined UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition alongside Coursera, Microsoft, and Google. Even though Beekee is primarily used in low-resource environments, its offline-first design is now drawing interest in broader contexts.
In France and Switzerland, secondary schools are beginning to use Beekee devices to give students digital access without exposing them fully to the internet during class. Teachers use them for outdoor projects, such as biology fieldwork, allowing students to share photos and notes over a local network. “The system is also being considered for secure, offline learning in correction facilities, and companies are exploring its potential for training in isolated, privacy-sensitive settings,” says Widmer.
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