ICYMI (because we did): Last week, Airspan Networks announced a deal to acquire Jabil’s open RAN portfolio and associated intellectual property rights for an undisclosed fee. It follows on the heels of an agreement to buy Corning’s distributed antenna system (DAS) and small cell business. Meanwhile, the US firm appeared to reveal its role, as RAN supplier, in Boldyn Networks’ €10 million private 5G deal with Deutsche Bahn in Germany, handled via Smart Mobile Labs, the local system integrator acquired by Boldyn Networks in January.
But the business with US electronics maker Jabil, which is completed, signals a move by Airspan to put increased focus on the public 5G market, as controlled by big regional and national mobile operators. It covers Jabil’s portfolio of single, dual, and triple band macro radios for “global operators”; it will bolster its “high-power macro radio development”, it said. Airspan is onboarding Jabil’s former radio R&D team, and sub-leasing its office and test labs in New Jersey, in the US. It said it is “now one of the most comprehensive open RAN vendors in the market”.
Glenn Laxdal, chief executive at Airspan Networks, said: “Airspan is investing in advanced radio development because we see a dynamic and growing market. This acquisition strengthens our ability to develop market leading wireless network solutions and reinforces our position as a trusted US supplier.”
Meanwhile, Airspan said last week it is the RAN supplier in a new private 5G deal with a “major European railway company” – without saying which railway company. Except, it said the deployment was led by Smart Mobile Labs, the newly-acquired local German system integrator division of Boldyn Networks, which coincidentally (or not) issued a press note last week as well to say it had signed such a deal with Deutsche Bahn, worth €10 million. Airspan said Smart Mobile Labs commissioned Ireland-based core network supplier Druid Software, alongside.
Airspan and Druid Software are frequently paired together in private 5G setups. Airspan said its deployment with Smart Mobile Labs is “across a range of maintenance and operational sites, from small workshops to large-scale facilities, ensuring tailored connectivity for each environment”. It cited use cases including augmented reality (AR) tools, such as HoloLens, for maintenance workflows and remote support, 5G integration into operational technology (OT) environments to monitor and control critical systems, and reliable high-capacity data exchange for stationary and moving trains.
Henrik Smith-Petersen, chief sales and marketing officer at Airspan, said: “5G private networks are transforming transportation, where mobility, security, and reliability are essential. With open RAN and dedicated spectrum, we ensure high-performance, interference-free connectivity for mission-critical rail applications. We are proud to collaborate with Boldyn Networks and Druid Software to drive this transformation.”
Tadhg Kenny, president for global partnerships at Druid Software, said: “Our collaboration with Airspan and Boldyn Networks on this private 5G deployment showcases the power of 5G to revolutionise rail transport. Our platform is designed for mission-critical environments like rail, delivering the security and scalability needed for seamless operations.”
