Mobilitie buys Signal Point, adds military base work

Firm Acquires Signal Point; Accelerates 5G Rollout

Telecommunications infrastructure company Mobilitie of Newport Beach has acquired Georgia-based Signal Point Systems Inc. to accelerate 5G and broadband connectivity at U.S. military bases.

Financial details were not released. The deal is the first reported corporate acquisition for Mobilitie in several years.

“Combining Signal Point with Mobilitie will allow us to collectively accelerate 5G and fiberbased broadband connectivity to U.S. military personnel across the country,” Mobilitie Chief Executive Christos Karmis said in a statement released May 12.

5G, short for fifth generation of cellular wireless technology, promises speeds that are potentially up to 100 times faster than 4G systems in use today.

Mobilitie boasts “more wireless site planning and deployment than any other provider in the U.S.”

Natural Fit

Mobilitie provides wireless technology products and services to leading enterprises across sports and entertainment, real estate, hospitality, higher education, healthcare, government and transportation industries.

Kennesaw, Ga.-based Signal Point is a veteran-owned small business that primarily focuses on developing what is called “owned infrastructure” on Defense Department properties. This includes towers, small cells, fiber, and in-building solutions on military installations and nearby communities.

“Signal Point is a natural fit with Mobilitie and fully aligns with our strategy to continue being the leading neutral host provider of outdoor and indoor wireless solutions in the U.S.,” Karmis said.

The acquisition, which closed on May 11, “will allow us to collectively accelerate 5G and fiber-based broadband connectivity to U.S. military personnel across the country,” Karmis added.

Mobilitie’s next-generation infrastructure includes communication towers, indoor and outdoor distributed antenna systems (DAS), small cells, fiber, IoT, Wi-Fi and private networks which help deliver wireless connectivity where it is needed.

This includes complex venues across all major industries including sports and entertainment arenas, commercial real estate and hospitality properties, university campuses, healthcare facilities, government agencies, transportation terminals, and now, U.S. military bases.

“Mobilitie has the national scale, technical resources, and operational support to ensure we deliver not only current 5G connectivity, but also the next generation of wireless connectivity solutions,” Signal Point CEO Phil Carrow said.

2021 Sale

Australia-based BAI Communications purchased Mobilitie last year for a price reported to be around $1.7 billion.

The acquisition included Mobilitie’s portfolio of assets and existing telecommunication infrastructure contracts with transit operators in San Francisco and Seattle, as well as DAS networks at 220 large public venues, 10,000 small cells and 300 tower sites across the United States.

Mobilitie was founded by Orange County entrepreneur Gary Jabara in 2005.

As of February, the company had about 350 employees in the U.S., with more overseas, according to Karmis.

Mobilitie provided Los Angeles with thousands of wireless sites that enabled “ultra-fast and reliable” connectivity for the Super Bowl on Feb. 13.

With more than 1,000 small cells deployed throughout the Los Angeles area, and numerous in-building networks at key locations, Mobilitie’s infrastructure boosted the experience for millions of fans attending the Super Bowl weekend events, it said.

Karmis in January said Mobilitie expects to complete its high-speed 5G wireless deployment at the rebranded Crypto.com Arena and L.A. Live by the middle of this year. ■