As part of the acquisition, BAI obtains ZenFi’s portfolio of assets, including over 1,100 route miles of fiber network throughout the New York and New Jersey metro region
Communications infrastructure provider BAI Communications announced the close of its acquisition of ZenFi Networks, which serves parts of the U.S. East Coast.
ZenFi now becomes a BAI Group company, alongside Mobilitie and Transit Wireless in the United States.
As part of the acquisition, BAI obtains ZenFi’s portfolio of assets, including over 1,100 route miles of fiber network throughout the New York and New Jersey metro region.
This fiber network connects into major data centers and points of presence in 65 network edge colocation facilities, a critical component of its C-RAN infrastructure. ZenFi also has contracts with wireless carrier customers in the region and the rights to provide mobile infrastructure solutions across 4,000 LinkNYC kiosk structures through its partnership with the CityBridge consortium.
The deal will allow the BAI Group to participate in Link5G, the next phase of LinkNYC, a communications network that has replaced payphones across New York City with kiosks equipped with free high-speed Wi-Fi, maps, connections to city services, and device charging at no cost to users.
Igor Leprince, group CEO of BAI Communications, said: “ZenFi’s unique expertise in fiber and small cell deployments in New York City and surrounding areas further strengthens BAI’s competitive position in the largest city in the U.S., while also providing us with new ways to partner with other organizations to address the digital divide in the underserved communities. This includes the deployment of 5G through the Link5G kiosks, essential to ensure all New Yorkers have access to the networks of the future.”
ZenFi’s infrastructure is a natural extension of the connectivity solutions that Transit Wireless currently provides across the New York City subway, BAI Communications said. It will also be leveraged by Mobilitie for small cell connectivity of existing and new locations, as well as expanding its in-building 5G networks across North America.
Victoria Lamberth, co-founder and CRO of ZenFi Networks, said: “We share a cultural and operational alignment with BAI that will ensure our customer-centric approach remains a priority into the future. Additionally, our combined expertise in fast-growth segments like small cell deployment with BAI’s global scale and reach, puts the BAI Group in an exciting position to drive increased connected infrastructure growth overall and new development opportunities for our people.”
“Our immediate priority now is on combining the capabilities and talent of our companies to assist our customers in delivering an enhanced experience at all points of their customers’ journey, from subway to above ground and from work to home,” Leprince added.
News of the agreement between the two companies was first announced on July 26 of this year.
