Shared infrastructure provider Boldyn Networks has signed a deal to acquire Germany-based private 5G specialist and Industry 4.0 integrator Smart Mobile Labs (SML) for an undisclosed fee. It signals the UK-headquartered firm’s move into the German market, a key geography in the developing private 5G narrative. SML has a distribution deal with Nokia, notably, and has organised some of the highest-profile private 5G deployments in Germany. Boldyn Networks, highly acquisitive, is making waves in the space in a bunch of other markets.
Boldyn Networks called SML the “market leader” for “bespoke private 5G networks and turnkey applications” in Germany. The firm helped to deploy the Finnish firm’s first private 5G SA system in the country, at the University of Kaiserslautern. It is also engaged with Verizon Business, as the ‘prime’, on a major private 5G project with Audi in Germany – which also leverages equipment and services from Nokia and AWS. SML has ties with operators in Germany to organise inter-public/private 5G roaming, and to dovetail with wider Industry 4.0 campus projects.
It has a specialism, alongside, in the “transmission and distribution of video signals”, with its own proprietary live streaming software, called Edge Video Orchestrator (EVO). Meanwhile, Boldyn Networks continues to expand, following deals for Finnish private network pioneer Edzcom and US higher-education specialist Apogee Telecom in March last year. Previous to rebranding as Boldyn Networks in 2023, BAI Group acquired Mobilitie in 2021, Vilicom in 2021, and ZenFi Networks in 2022, as well as Transit Wireless some time before.
It claims over 110 private 4G/5G network implementations in the five largest European economies, plus the US. (It features heavily in a recent RCR Wireless compendium of UK private 5G deployments.) It holds its own spectrum in Australia. Boldyn Networks said the deal for SML, expected to close this quarter, will enhance its “technical knowledge for critical sectors, tailored use cases, and the further development of its as-a-service offering”. It said Germany will be “one of the largest” markets for private 5G in Europe over the next decade.
Justin Berger, group chief strategy officer at Boldyn Networks said: “Germany is a very attractive market for mobile private networks. By bringing Smart Mobile Labs’ expertise to Boldyn, we’ll be able to scale our existing private networks expertise to benefit customers looking for a partner of choice across a wider area of Europe. The SML leadership team comes with a combined 100 years of experience in engineering and technology, adding to our talented team at Boldyn.”
Igor Leprince, group chief executive at Boldyn Networks said: “At Boldyn we have been leading the way in reimagining customers’ digital transformations through dynamic private 4G and 5G networks. As an important player in the fast-rising private network ecosystem Smart Mobile Labs will support our expansion in the top five markets in Europe and globally. SML comes with an impressive customer base across key sectors for us, which rely on their strong technical capabilities, innovation, and a market-leading partner network.”
Klaus Nagora, founder and chief executive at Smart Mobile Labs, said: “Joining Boldyn Networks in their global growth journey is exciting for us and for our customers. Not only will we be able to scale our private network and EVO offerings inside of Germany, but worldwide, now with the backing of a neutral host portfolio leader and a global team of experts. We share Boldyn’s focus on developing bold solutions that can solve our customers’ needs. It’s in our DNA to be ahead of such needs.”
Rüdiger Hnyk, chief operating officer at Smart Mobile Labs, said: “SML and Boldyn together will become a major player for private 5G offerings in Europe. We will now be able to offer the most experienced and most practical references for specialised market solutions. From remote driven trains and container handling solutions for logistics storage, to autonomous driving and valet parking, safety applications like ‘5G drone patrol’, and video camera control solutions for airports, our joint capabilities will be best suited to cover the growing demands of a variety of sectors successfully.”
