Global communications infrastructure firm BAI Communications has acquired wireless network deployment specialist Vilicom.
The deal represents a major expansion of BAI's business in the UK and Europe, “accelerating its growth strategy in the region”, it said.
Vilicom delivers private 4G- and 5G-based mobile services, with over 1,500 solutions deployed to date. It provides consultancy, design, optimisation, testing and systems integration. Customers span a range of sectors including healthcare, real-estate, retail, hospitality, energy and mobile network operators.
Major projects include Dublin Airport T2, Premiership football stadiums, Ireland's Croke Park, Bristol Myres Squibb's billion-dollar biologics plant, as well as the Moray East offshore windfarm in Scotland - where Vilicom designed a bespoke private network covering an area of 295km².
BAI said the combination of Vilicom's technical expertise and its investment capability will “bring scale” to private 5G networks business and Vilicom's communications as-a-service platform, that provides indoor cellular coverage for smaller venues.
BAI recently acquired Mobilitie, one of the largest privately-held telecoms companies in the US. In the UK, BAI was earlier this year awarded a 20-year concession from Transport for London to deliver high-speed mobile on the London Underground. It also signed a 20-year strategic partnership with Sunderland City Council to create the “UK's most advanced smart city”, said BAI.
“At BAI we are working to connect the unconnected, and this acquisition will play a huge role in assisting us to achieve that goal,” said Billy D'Arcy, CEO of BAI Communications UK. “With its focus on indoor venues, Vilicom is helping to enhance connectivity for all, and by investing in its growth we can transform access to high-speed mobile coverage.”
Sean Keating, CEO of Vilicom, added: “For over two decades, Vilicom has been an industry leader in cellular innovation, having connected millions of people across Europe. BAI shares our mission and understands that in today's digital world, more and more people are relying heavily on uninterrupted high-performance mobile connectivity.”
BAI's operations currently span Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, the UK and the US. Vilicom is active in over 20 countries. The value of the acquisition has not been disclosed.
