Boldyn Networks boosts private 5G with Smart Mobile Labs acquisition

Bolstering its recent activity in the area of private 5G in continental Europe – such as its deal to supply the Port of Kemi in Finland with dedicated mobile connectivity for real-time vessel and cargo management, among other things – and marking its entry into a rapidly growing market, Boldyn Networks has announced an agreement to acquire Smart Mobile Labs (SML).

Claiming to be Germany’s market leader in bespoke private 5G networks and turnkey applications, SML describes itself as a pioneer in the realm of 5G campus networks, redefining the digital landscape by delivering “cutting-edge” connectivity solutions and offering a “revolutionary” stream management and orchestration tool.

Through the acquisition, Boldyn said that it has cemented its position as a leading global mobile private networks, with the addition of SML immediately expanding the shared network infrastructure provider’s footprint, placing the business with a track record of more than 110 mobile private network (MPN) implementations across the five largest European economies, in addition to the US.

Commenting on the rationale for the deal, Boldyn expects Germany is to be one of the largest MPN markets in Europe over the next decade. It sees SML as a key MPN player in sectors such as industrial and energy, transport and logistics, healthcare, defence, research and education, and public and private safety. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is set to close in the first quarter of 2025.

Boldyn claims that the strategic acquisition will bring “unparalleled” collaboration with leading German mobile network operators and top technology players, further solidifying Boldyn’s market position, offering added capabilities to Boldyn with its proprietary live video-streaming software solution, Edge Video Orchestrator (EVO).

Furthermore, Boldyn sees the deal as enhancing technical knowledge for critical sectors, tailored use cases and the further development of its private-5G-as-a-service offering.

The combined companies said that they will offer the most experienced and practical references for specialised market solutions with use cases including 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.

“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,” said Justin Berger, group chief strategy officer at Boldyn Networks.

“The SML leadership team comes with a combined 100 years of experience in engineering and technology, adding to our talented team at Boldyn.”

Klaus Nagora, CEO and founder of Smart Mobile Labs, added: “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, 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.”