Vocus has announced its long-time partner Challenge Networks – a market leader in designing and deploying private mobile networks –will become part of Vocus.
Vocus has signed a contract to acquire Challenge Networks, which builds on Vocus’ strategy to provide secure, high-capacity connectivity to Australian enterprise and government customers – wherever they are – through its national fibre, satellite, and now wireless network infrastructure.
The addition of wireless network capability complements Vocus’ $1 billion investment strategy, which includes capacity upgrades to the company’s existing network and the deployment of substantial new fibre infrastructure – including the Horizon and Highclere projects in the north-west of Australia.
It also follows the company’s launch of Vocus Satellite – Starlink in December, after Vocus signed an agreement with Starlink to offer low earth orbit satellite (LEO) services to enterprise and government customers across Australia. As a leading provider of private LTE/5G networks, Challenge Networks designs, deploys, and operates private 4G and 5G networks for customers that require secure, reliable, high-capacity wireless coverage to support operational technology (OT) use cases on their sites.
These custom-built mobile networks can be deployed on sites such as mines, hospitals, universities, floating platforms at sea, vessels, ports, manufacturing and logistics sites, or any other special-purpose site that requires highly reliable and secure wireless connectivity.
Vocus Chief Executive – Enterprise & Government, Andrew Wildblood
Challenge Networks’ expertise in deploying private LTE is a perfect match for Vocus’ extensive experience supporting Australia’s government, defence, utilities, and resources sector customers with our fibre network and low earth orbit (LEO) satellite capability – both of which provide coverage in areas others don’t.
