4G Direct Upload

Overview

4G Direct Upload allows Bota Pin 4G devices to upload recordings directly to Bota’s API via cellular (LTE-M) connectivity, eliminating the need for a paired mobile phone during upload. Benefits:

Upload recordings without a nearby phone
Real-time transcription for time-sensitive use cases
Reduced latency from recording to insight
Better for always-on, autonomous device usage

Use Cases:

Medical clinics where devices are shared and not paired to personal phones
Field sales where reps may not have their phone nearby
Remote workers who want instant transcription
Enterprise deployments with dedicated devices

How It Works

Traditional Upload Flow (BLE)

┌──────────┐      BLE       ┌─────────┐     WiFi/4G    ┌─────────┐
│  Device  │ ────────────▶  │  Phone  │ ─────────────▶ │   API   │
└──────────┘   Transfer     └─────────┘    Upload      └─────────┘

4G Direct Upload Flow

┌──────────┐      4G/WiFi                  ┌─────────┐
│  Device  │ ────────────────────────────▶ │   API   │
└──────────┘   Direct Upload               └─────────┘

The device makes authenticated HTTPS requests directly to api.bota.dev using its embedded cellular modem.

Network Selection

Devices intelligently select the best network based on availability, cost, speed, and battery:

WiFi

Best for: Free, fast uploadsWhen used: Connected to known WiFi networkPriority: Highest (free data)

4G/LTE-M

Best for: Uploads without WiFiWhen used: No WiFi, good cellular signalPriority: Medium (metered data)

Bluetooth

Best for: Slow but reliableWhen used: No WiFi/4G, phone nearbyPriority: Lowest (slowest)

Upload Modes

You can control network selection via device settings:

Mode	Behavior	Use Case
`auto` (Recommended)	Smart selection: WiFi → 4G → BLE	Most users
`wifi_preferred`	Use WiFi when available, then 4G	Balance cost & convenience
`4g_preferred`	Use 4G first, fallback to WiFi	Always-on, real-time needs
`wifi_only`	Wait for WiFi connection (no 4G)	Cost-sensitive, no urgency
`4g_only`	Use 4G exclusively	Testing, guaranteed 4G upload
`ble_only`	Traditional BLE → phone upload	Disable direct upload

Device Settings

Configure upload behavior via the Device Settings API:

Quick Example: Enable 4G Uploads

curl -X PATCH https://api.bota.dev/v1/devices/dev_abc123/settings \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "upload": {
      "mode": "auto",
      "daily_data_limit_mb": 500,
      "allow_roaming": false
    }
  }'

Complete Upload Settings

{
  "upload": {
    "mode": "auto",                    // Network selection mode
    "streaming_enabled": false,        // Upload while recording
    "upload_delay_minutes": 0,         // Delay after recording (0 = immediate)
    "daily_data_limit_mb": 500,        // 4G data cap per day
    "allow_roaming": false,            // Block uploads when roaming
    "pause_on_low_battery": true,      // Pause when battery < 20%
    "off_peak_hours": {                // Optional: upload during off-peak
      "enabled": false,
      "start": "02:00",
      "end": "06:00",
      "timezone": "America/Los_Angeles"
    }
  }
}

Data Usage & Costs

Estimating Data Consumption

Recording Size Formula:

File Size (MB) = Duration (minutes) × Bitrate (kbps) × 60 / 8 / 1024

Examples (Opus codec, 32 kbps):

5 minute meeting: ~1.2 MB
30 minute meeting: ~7.2 MB
1 hour meeting: ~14.4 MB

Daily Data Limits

Set daily_data_limit_mb to cap cellular usage:

{
  "upload": {
    "daily_data_limit_mb": 500  // Max 500 MB/day via 4G
  }
}

When limit is exceeded:

4G uploads blocked for remainder of day
Device falls back to WiFi or BLE
Counter resets at midnight (device local time)

Monitoring Data Usage

Track data consumption via the Get Device Settings endpoint:

{
  "current_status": {
    "data_used_today_mb": 112,
    "daily_data_limit_mb": 500
  }
}

Upload While Recording (Streaming)

For long recordings (>30 minutes), enable streaming upload to upload chunks while recording continues:

{
  "upload": {
    "streaming_enabled": true
  }
}

How It Works:

Device records audio in 5-minute chunks (double buffering)
While recording chunk 2, upload chunk 1 in background
Continue until recording ends
Call /finalize to stitch chunks and trigger transcription

Benefits:

Reduced device storage requirements (only 2 chunks in memory)
Faster transcription (backend can start transcribing early chunks)
Better network resilience (failed chunks can retry independently)

See the Streaming Upload Guide for details.

Roaming & International Use

By default, 4G uploads are disabled when roaming to avoid high charges.

Allow Roaming Uploads

{
  "upload": {
    "allow_roaming": true  // Allow 4G uploads when roaming
  }
}

Roaming Charges: Enabling roaming uploads may incur significant international data charges. Only enable if necessary and monitor usage carefully.

Travel Mode Preset

For international travel, use WiFi-only mode:

{
  "upload": {
    "mode": "wifi_only",
    "allow_roaming": false
  }
}

Battery Optimization

4G uploads consume more power than BLE. Optimize battery life with these settings:

Delay Uploads Until Charging

{
  "upload": {
    "pause_on_low_battery": true,  // Pause when battery < 20%
    "upload_delay_minutes": 15      // Wait 15 min before uploading
  }
}

Off-Peak Uploads

Upload during off-peak hours (e.g., overnight while charging):

{
  "upload": {
    "off_peak_hours": {
      "enabled": true,
      "start": "02:00",      // 2:00 AM
      "end": "06:00",        // 6:00 AM
      "timezone": "America/Los_Angeles"
    }
  }
}

Recordings will queue during the day and upload during the off-peak window.

Mobile App Integration

Fetch Current Settings

const settings = await bota.devices.getSettings('dev_abc123');

console.log(settings.upload.mode);              // "auto"
console.log(settings.current_status.network_type); // "wifi" | "4g" | "ble"

Update Settings from App

// User toggles "Allow Roaming" switch
await bota.devices.patchSettings('dev_abc123', {
  upload: {
    allow_roaming: userToggledRoaming
  }
});

Write Settings to Device via BLE

If the device is connected via BLE, write settings to hardware immediately:

import { BotaBLEDevice } from '@bota-dev/react-native-sdk';

const device = await BotaBLEDevice.connect('dev_abc123');

// Write upload settings to BLE characteristic
await device.writeUploadConfig({
  mode: 'auto',
  daily_data_limit_mb: 500,
  allow_roaming: false
});

Otherwise, settings sync on next heartbeat (every 15 minutes).

Preset Configurations

Common upload presets for different use cases:

Maximum Quality (Enterprise)

{
  "upload": {
    "mode": "auto",
    "streaming_enabled": true,
    "upload_delay_minutes": 0,
    "daily_data_limit_mb": 0  // Unlimited
  }
}

Best for: Real-time transcription, doctors, sales teams

Balanced (Recommended)

{
  "upload": {
    "mode": "wifi_preferred",
    "streaming_enabled": false,
    "upload_delay_minutes": 5,
    "daily_data_limit_mb": 500
  }
}

Best for: Most users, balance cost & speed

Data Saver

{
  "upload": {
    "mode": "wifi_only",
    "streaming_enabled": false,
    "off_peak_hours": {
      "enabled": true,
      "start": "02:00",
      "end": "06:00"
    },
    "daily_data_limit_mb": 100
  }
}

Best for: Budget-conscious, no urgency

Battery Saver

{
  "upload": {
    "mode": "ble_only",
    "streaming_enabled": false
  }
}

Best for: Low battery, sync via phone only

Monitoring Upload Status

Track Upload Method

Each recording tracks the upload method used:

GET /v1/recordings/rec_abc123

{
  "id": "rec_abc123",
  "upload_method": "4g_direct",  // "ble" | "wifi_direct" | "4g_direct"
  "data_uploaded_bytes": 15728640,
  "upload_completed_at": "2025-01-13T14:23:45Z"
}

Analytics Queries

Query recordings by upload method:

GET /v1/recordings?upload_method=4g_direct&start_date=2025-01-01

Track 4G adoption rate, data usage, and upload performance.

Troubleshooting

Recording Not Uploading via 4G

Check:

Device has 4G connectivity (signal strength > -85 dBm)
Upload mode is not ble_only or wifi_only
Daily data limit not exceeded
Device not roaming (if allow_roaming: false)
Battery level sufficient (if pause_on_low_battery: true)

Get Device Status:

GET /v1/devices/dev_abc123/settings

{
  "current_status": {
    "network_type": "4g",
    "signal_strength_dbm": -75,
    "is_roaming": false,
    "data_used_today_mb": 450,
    "battery_percent": 65
  }
}

Upload Failed - Poor Signal

If 4G signal is weak (< -95 dBm), device will fallback to BLE or queue upload for later. Solution: Configure WiFi credentials via mobile app, or set mode: "wifi_preferred".

Data Limit Exceeded

When daily limit is hit:

Device blocks 4G uploads
Falls back to WiFi or BLE
Resets at midnight

Solution: Increase daily_data_limit_mb or enable WiFi fallback.

Security & Authentication

4G uploads use device tokens (dtok_*) for authentication. Tokens are:

Bound to specific device + end user
Short-lived (90 days, auto-renewed)
Written to device flash during provisioning

See Device Token Authentication for details.

Streaming Upload Guide

Learn about upload-while-recording

Device Settings API

API reference for configuring devices

Network Selection

Deep dive on upload decision logic

Bota Pin 4G Specs

Hardware specifications

Getting Started

Features

Hardware

Webhooks

Resources

Legal & Compliance

​Overview

​How It Works

​Traditional Upload Flow (BLE)

​4G Direct Upload Flow

​Network Selection

WiFi

4G/LTE-M

Bluetooth

​Upload Modes

​Device Settings

​Quick Example: Enable 4G Uploads

​Complete Upload Settings

​Data Usage & Costs

​Estimating Data Consumption

​Daily Data Limits

​Monitoring Data Usage

​Upload While Recording (Streaming)

​Roaming & International Use

​Allow Roaming Uploads

​Travel Mode Preset

​Battery Optimization

​Delay Uploads Until Charging

​Off-Peak Uploads

​Mobile App Integration

​Fetch Current Settings

​Update Settings from App

​Write Settings to Device via BLE

​Preset Configurations

​Maximum Quality (Enterprise)

​Balanced (Recommended)

​Data Saver

​Battery Saver

​Monitoring Upload Status

​Track Upload Method

​Analytics Queries

​Troubleshooting

​Recording Not Uploading via 4G

​Upload Failed - Poor Signal

​Data Limit Exceeded

​Security & Authentication

​Related Resources

Streaming Upload Guide

Device Settings API

Network Selection

Bota Pin 4G Specs

Overview

How It Works

Traditional Upload Flow (BLE)

4G Direct Upload Flow

Network Selection

Upload Modes

Device Settings

Quick Example: Enable 4G Uploads

Complete Upload Settings

Data Usage & Costs

Estimating Data Consumption

Daily Data Limits

Monitoring Data Usage

Upload While Recording (Streaming)

Roaming & International Use

Allow Roaming Uploads

Travel Mode Preset

Battery Optimization

Delay Uploads Until Charging

Off-Peak Uploads

Mobile App Integration

Fetch Current Settings

Update Settings from App

Write Settings to Device via BLE

Preset Configurations

Maximum Quality (Enterprise)

Balanced (Recommended)

Data Saver

Battery Saver

Monitoring Upload Status

Track Upload Method

Analytics Queries

Troubleshooting

Recording Not Uploading via 4G

Upload Failed - Poor Signal

Data Limit Exceeded

Security & Authentication

Related Resources