Wilson Connectivity is the home of WilsonPro, weBoost, and Zinwave, and it is the market leader in in-building wireless communication technology. Through evolutionary wireless connectivity products and services, Wilson Connectivity pioneers indoor and outdoor cellular amplification technology, unlocks new global markets, and expands consumer and commercial channels. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Wilson Connectivity CEO Bruce Lancaster to learn more about the company.
Services
What does Wilson Connectivity provide? Lancaster said:
“Wilson Connectivity provides connectivity solutions for every industry and environment over multiple technologies, including cellular, 2-way radio, public safety and private network. You cannot operate in today’s modern world without constant connection, whether on your phone, an IoT device, or another data collection device. Wilson Connectivity works to provide critical connectivity everywhere.”
Addressing Coverage Limitations
Wilson Connectivity provides simple solutions for connectivity. How does your broad portfolio specifically address the coverage limitations that many enterprises face when scaling their operations? Lancaster shared:
“Wilson Connectivity solutions build upon each other, rather than having to completely replace a system when it’s time to scale. A business may need to quickly address a targeted area of coverage and that’s where our Passive DAS solution can be cost effectively deployed. As the business expands and more coverage is needed, they can move to a Hybrid DAS configuration to cover more area. Eventually, they can move to an Active DAS solution to cover larger areas.”
Aligning With Investment Cycles And Growth Patterns
Let’s talk about your tiered approach – from Passive DAS to Private 5G+. How does this modular strategy align with the investment cycles and growth patterns you’re observing among your enterprise clients? Lancaster pointed out:
“Modular solutions enable gradual expansion, delivering that balance between cost efficiency and scalability. Specifically, we have a fiber optic distribution system the covers frequencies from 150MHz to 5GHz, with the ability to accept multiple signal sources. An enterprise customer can start with low-band coverage and build on that solution as needs arise, adding C-Band or private network over the same fiber infrastructure, all without adding significant cost.”
Specific Use Cases
Can you share any specific use cases? Lancaster highlighted:
“Wilson Connectivity recently deployed a cost-effective solution in a large airport in the upper Midwest for all bands available for AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon on a single layer system, providing significant coverage and data capacity for airport patrons. They also use the fiber system to handle 2-way radio traffic in addition to cellular frequencies. Now the airport is set up to deploy future technology as the need arises, including rolling out a private 5G network.”
Unique Challenges
You’ve implemented solutions across diverse sectors. What unique challenges do these different environments present, and how has your technology adapted to meet their specific needs? Lancaster acknowledged:
“Whether it’s the physical structure of a location and the signal-blocking materials used in the construction, or something more sensitive like data privacy, we have the technology to support these connectivity needs. We can deploy solutions to bring much needed signal inside and propagate that signal throughout a location. We’ve also developed a private network that uses a cellular infrastructure to provide secure indoor connectivity. The difference between a privately owned network and the public cellular networks like Verizon or AT&T is that the data goes back to the carrier. Our private network solution allows the enterprise organization to keep everything onsite and manage and control all the data themselves.”
Shifts In Enterprise Connectivity Demands
With over 200 patents and 20 years in the industry, what transformational shifts are you seeing in enterprise connectivity demands, particularly as businesses navigate the integration of IoT and edge computing? Lancaster emphasized:
“The amount of data used to perform any given role is growing, and our solutions aid in that data collection. Look at industrial manufacturing, and the large-scale indoor and outdoor equipment involved. This is very expensive equipment in massive facilities measuring specifications at each stage of the assembly process. To capture these measurements, they need a solution that allows them to connect to each one of those data acquisition points in their facilities, whether its indoor or outdoor. And that change in environment—indoor to outdoor and back—gets challenging, which is where our solutions really make a difference. We create that fully connected environment for these businesses.”
Evolution Of The Connectivity Landscale
The connectivity landscape is rapidly evolving. How is Wilson Connectivity positioning itself to not just meet current enterprise needs but also anticipate and prepare for future technological demands? Lancaster noted:
“We’re really looking at where the biggest data and capacity demands are and how our technology can help meet those needs. Data needs, in various forms, will continue to grow, whether that’s two-way communication, or uploading high-definition video as part of a systems monitoring, or connecting even more IoT devices. The need for highly reliable, high-bandwidth connectivity without the fixed wire will continue to grow and our solutions will be at the forefront.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates Wilson Connectivity from the competition? Lancaster concluded:
“As the inventor of cell signal repeating technology and a pioneer in broad spectrum fiber optic distribution, Wilson Connectivity truly has a solution for everyone and every need. From improving connectivity in a single room through our direct-to-consumer weBoost products, to outfitting a historic government building in Westminister, to deploying a private 5G network across a sprawling campus, our technology is ready to solve connectivity challenges wherever they arise.”
