Ubiquisys recently hosted a visit from Ed Vaizey, the UK government minister for Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries, at its Swindon HQ.
Ed met with members of the team to hear more about how Ubiquisys has grown to become a leader in femtocell and small cell technology, how mobile operators are using small cells in novel ways to improve and extend the mobile experience, and how the UK has quietly become a cluster for femtocell and small cell innovation.
Ed Vaizey with Ubiquisys co-founders Will Franks and Pete Keevill
Ubiquisys represents exactly the type of entrepreneurial success that the government is keen to encourage: a focus on high-tech innovation, an expert international workforce, and a global outlook driving sales across the world.
This visit took place as another part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is preparing to spend £150M to improve the coverage and quality of mobile network services in rural areas. Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) expects procurement to begin in the spring.
Ed Vaizey with Ubiquisys system test team leader Bob Ludkin
Ubiquisys has extensive experience of designing low-cost small cells to provide mobile services to remote areas. In Japan, mobile operator SoftBank has deployed them in large numbers in remote and sparsely populated areas. Many use a satellite link to connect back to the core network. The portability and rapid set-up of these cells meant that they were used to provide emergency coverage after the tsunami disaster last March.
