Private network operator and industrial connectivity specialist Citymesh has expanded its spectrum holding in Belgium to 100MHz of the 3.5 GHz band. It will use the new tranche of spectrum to bolster private 5G capacity in the North Sea, including to support the Belgian government’s rollout of new wind farms.
The Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecoms (BIPT) has granted Citymesh an increased holding in the 3.5 GHz band on the North Sea, taking its allocation from 40MHz to 100MHz. The firm is in the process of building a redundant network for all wind farms in the Belgian North Sea, combining cellular 5G and Wi-Fi mesh infrastructure. It is working with Nokia on the 5G arrangement.
It said: “The combination of Nokia’s 5G technology and Citymesh’s mesh technology provides perfect coverage and a seamless transition between the onshore and offshore networks.” The company also offers low-power wide-area (LPWA) IoT networking for long-range sensor connections. The company offshore infrastructure is being used for traditional mobile communications, as well as to support machine automation and industrial IoT.
Citymesh has announced it will combine with sister company nCentric, which has handled North Sea connectivity until now, under the Citymesh brand going forward. It has already installed offshore networks for the wind farms in the Belgian North Sea, covering an area from Mermaid to Norther. The increased allocation at 3.5 GHz will expand capacity, as it serves a new offshore energy zone, scheduled to be built in the next few years.
Mitch De Geest, chief executive at Citymesh, commented: “We build 5G networks that enable super-fast connectivity for all wind farms in the North Sea. We also provide connectivity to Borssele wind farms in the Dutch North Sea.”
Citymesh announced an MVNO deal with Proximus last week to offer mobile services on the Proximus network in Belgium, running alongside localised cellular services in its own spectrum. Citymesh will offer a single-SIM solution in Belgium to provide nationwide coverage along with dedicated local-area private coverage in venues and campuses. The MVNO deal covers voice and SMS traffic only, it appears.
Citymesh said in a statement: “The MVNO setup will ensure continuity of voice and SMS services in and outside a Citymesh private 4G or 5G network and onto the public network of Proximus. The agreement will allow Citymesh to further strengthen its private network offering towards industrial customers.”
