Christos Karmis, the chief executive of Newport Beach-based Mobilitie, says the telecommunications infrastructure company’s business integration with its new overseas owner is “going very well.”
BAI Communications of Australia purchased Mobilitie last year for a price reported to be just below $1.7 billion.
“We’ve integrated well with them. They’re really a global organization so for us it was less about any kind of overlap within the U.S.,” Karmis told the Business Journal on Feb. 28.
He said the aim was to “maximize the benefit of being part of the global organization” and how each side could leverage some of the other’s global capacity.
He calls BAI a great company with a culture similar to that of Mobilitie, which was founded by Orange County entrepreneur Gary Jabara.
Mobilitie provides wireless technology products and services to leading enterprises across sports and entertainment, real estate, hospitality, higher education, healthcare, government and transportation industries.
Karmis said Mobilitie would be announcing a major project in the coming weeks but did not provide further details.
Late last month, Mobilitie said it hired Jerry Gallegos, an executive with a deep telecommunications pedigree, as senior vice president of wireless solutions.
Gallegos will oversee Mobilitie’s enterprise connectivity business that provides 5G and private network solutions to large enterprises and property owners and operators across the country.
He previously served in top executive roles at Sprint, now merged with T-Mobile, and with Cox Communications.
“Jerry is a great addition to our executive team,” Karmis said. “His experience and leadership will help ensure we continue to deliver the industry’s best solutions to our enterprise clients.”
5G Potential
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.
The company boasts “more wireless site planning and deployment than any other provider in the U.S.”
“Most enterprises are only starting to tap into the potential of 5G and seamless wireless connectivity, and I’m excited to join the industry leader that’s playing a key role in creating a dynamic mobile experience for venues around the world,” Gallegos said in a Feb. 23 statement.
Mobilitie has about 350 employees in the U.S., with more overseas, according to Karmis.
Super Bowl
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 experience for millions of fans attending the Super Bowl weekend events, it said.
Mobilitie said seamless game-day connectivity in and out of the hotels, restaurants and other key hospitality zones and districts was a critical element of the entire fan and hotel guest experience and for residents.
Karmis said in January that Mobilitie expects to complete its high-speed 5G wireless deployment at the recently rebranded Crypto.com Arena and L.A. Live by the middle of this year.
Mobilitie says the network—one of its more prominent projects in Southern California—will meet future wireless demands, while allowing for expanded digital initiatives, improved venue operations and enhanced fan communications.
