diff --git a/blinkenlicht/bl.fnl b/blinkenlicht/bl.fnl
index cb8f2b6..246a2e0 100644
--- a/blinkenlicht/bl.fnl
+++ b/blinkenlicht/bl.fnl
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 (local iostream (require :iostream))
 (local metric (require :metric))
 (local uplink (require :uplink))
+(local modem (require :modem))
 
 (stylesheet "licht.css")
 
@@ -41,6 +42,20 @@
                     {:text v})
                  }))
 
+   (let [modem (modem.new)]
+     (indicator {
+                 :wait-for {
+                            :interval (* 4 1000)
+                            }
+                 :refresh
+                 #(let [{:m3gpp-operator-name operator
+                         :signal-quality quality} (modem:value)]
+                    {:text (.. operator
+                               ;" " (. quality 1) "dBm"
+                               )
+                     })
+                 }))
+
    (let [uplink (uplink.new)
          input (iostream.from-descriptor uplink.fd)]
      (indicator {
diff --git a/blinkenlicht/default.nix b/blinkenlicht/default.nix
index 60fd7c4..1a39a2a 100644
--- a/blinkenlicht/default.nix
+++ b/blinkenlicht/default.nix
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 , librsvg
 , lua53Packages
 , lua5_3
+, luaDbusProxy
 , makeWrapper
 , writeText
 }:
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ let
 
   lua = lua5_3.withPackages (ps: with ps; [
     lgi
+    luaDbusProxy
     luafilesystem
     luaposix
     readline
diff --git a/blinkenlicht/modem.fnl b/blinkenlicht/modem.fnl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e930a54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/blinkenlicht/modem.fnl
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+(local { : GLib }  (require :lgi))
+(local dbus (require :dbus_proxy))
+(local { : view } (require :fennel))
+(local GV GLib.Variant)
+(local variant dbus.variant)
+
+;; https://www.freedesktop.org/software/ModemManager/api/latest/ref-dbus.html
+(var the-modem-manager nil)
+(fn  modem-manager []
+  (when (not the-modem-manager)
+    (set the-modem-manager
+         (dbus.Proxy:new
+          {
+           :bus dbus.Bus.SYSTEM
+           :name "org.freedesktop.ModemManager1"
+           :interface "org.freedesktop.DBus.ObjectManager"
+           :path "/org/freedesktop/ModemManager1"
+           })))
+  the-modem-manager)
+
+;; this is a function because the path to the modem may change
+;; (e.g. due to suspend/resume cycles causing services to be stopped
+;; and started)
+
+(fn modem-interface []
+  (let [modem-path (next (: (assert (modem-manager)) :GetManagedObjects))]
+    (dbus.Proxy:new
+     {
+      :bus dbus.Bus.SYSTEM
+      :name "org.freedesktop.ModemManager1"
+      :interface "org.freedesktop.ModemManager1.Modem.Simple"
+      :path modem-path
+      })))
+
+(fn new-modem-status []
+  {
+   :value #(let [m (modem-interface)]
+             (variant.strip (m:GetStatus)))
+   })
+
+(comment
+(let [ctx (: (GLib.MainLoop) :get_context)
+      s (new-modem-status)]
+  (while true
+    (ctx:iteration)
+    (print (view (s:value) )))))
+
+{ :new new-modem-status }
diff --git a/blinkenlicht/shell.nix b/blinkenlicht/shell.nix
index e404c8c..0e1e05b 100644
--- a/blinkenlicht/shell.nix
+++ b/blinkenlicht/shell.nix
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
-with import <nixpkgs> {} ;
+with import <nixpkgs> {
+  overlays = [ (import ../slab/overlay.nix) ];
+} ;
 callPackage ./. {}