The Mobile Network understands that Bluwan, a Point-to-Multipoint wireless connectivity provider, has been shuttered by its investors and will no longer trade as a product or solution provider.
Bluwan, which has been marketing its P2MP 42GHz technology for a variety of applications including residential and enterprise broadband, and backhaul for mobile and WiFi, will not be receiving any further ongoing investment from chief investor, Chairman Patrick Fauchier. In a statement released to TMN, Fauchier appeared to hold open the possibility of re-entering the market or licensing the technology, for which the company holds five patents, at a future date.
The company has been trading since 2006. It was spun out from Thales, and based its Fibre Through The Air technology from assets from technology developed by Thales. It has previously mentioned investing $20 million in development costs for the technology.
A company spokesperson confirmed that the company is being made dormant, and provided the following statement to TMN. TMN understands the company website will shortly be updated with this statement, which states that Bluwan’s technology was too advanced for the market, and will lie dormant pending a possible future re-entry, perhaps to support 5G developments.
Statement from Patrick Fauchier
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bluwan SA
Bluwan SA has, over the last 5 years, developed an innovative and disruptive technology for wireless data transmission, using 42 GHz millimetre waves in a point to multi-point architecture. Bluwan’s engineering team developed each building block of the solution: radio and antenna design, hardware and embedded software as well as systems integration. This unique technology saw Bluwan awarded five internationally registered patents (and two patents pending), which cover the principal aspects of Bluwan’s Fibre Through The Air systems architecture and its industrialisation process.
In the course of the last 5 years, through its deep knowledge, unique experience, and reputation, Bluwan’s approach was recognised by the market as a pioneer in the millimetre 39-43 GHz bands and a disruptive player for mobile backhaul and fixed wireless access.
However, because of the extent of this cutting edge, innovative technology, the market and some regulatory frameworks are not currently mature enough for Bluwan’s solutions.
Therefore, as of 10th June 2015, it has been decided by the Board of Directors that the company will be made dormant until the market, and to some extent the regulatory environment, put Bluwan’s technology and IP at the heart of ultra-high capacity broadband transmissions.
The extended Bluwan team particularly want to thank the media and analyst communities for their support, and for their interest in our technology and proposition – it has been an important and valuable part of the Bluwan journey. Since 2014, the highly dynamic global telecommunications market has not moved as quickly as many of us fervently believed it would, but Bluwan is in a position, given the right timing, to re-enter this market and propose its relevant solutions for the future 5G Heterogeneous networks.
We wish you all the best, and we hope to speak with you again soon.
Patrick Fauchier, Chairman, Bluwan
Although the Bluwan website is currently still active, it will shortly be updated with the above trading statement, and products and solution information removed. The Bluwan Twitter profile already seems to have been deactivated.
The closing of Bluwan leaves the P2MP microwave wireless market to CBNL, CCS and Intracom Telecom. All of these companies have, to a greater or lesser extent, been waiting for the small cell market opportunity to take off, whilst exploiting other tactical opportunities. CCS has had success most recently with pilots and live deployments by China Mobile of its self-configuring nodes.
