A local telecommunications business has plans to invest further in its global mobile data network and is on the hunt for acquisitions, its top executive told the Business Journal.
Globalgig is a mobile virtual network operator, connecting mobile devices to the internet through data networks for continuity across continents. The company uses a patented technology and SIM card so customers’ devices operate in more than 200 countries, as it seeks to remove communication barriers for businesses often limited by mobile phone carriers whose networks are not dense enough for worldwide coverage. Globalgig has mobile data networks around the world and creates customized packages for large corporations, including Facebook Inc., LA Fitness and Pinterest.
Globalgig — which has some U.S. points of presence, which are digital hubs for networks to route traffic through — recently invested in more points in France and London, and CEO Ernest Cunningham expects to activate more in Asia next year.
“Our goal is to have a ubiquitous footprint and almost 100 percent coverage,” said Cunningham, who bought Globalgig with business partner Greg Casey in 2016.
“We’re not selling on price. We want to be the easy button.” Cunningham has worked in the communications industry for more than two decades and saw mobile data as the next generation beyond fiber internet for how businesses will connect to the web in the future.
“Historically, it was all about fiber optics and connecting offices. But with the advent of LTE — and soon to be 5G — that displaces fiber because you’re now able to get enough bandwidth to fully stream and do video conferencing,” he said. “What we’re finding is that remote users have had historically bad experiences trying to tie into the corporate network.”
Globalgig has also been in the market for potential acquisitions.
“We are active in the [merger and acquisition] space and actively looking at opportunities,” Cunningham said. “What we believe is that if we can gain more technology or customer base, then that’s a successful opportunity.”
Globalgig’s biggest hurdle is access to talent, especially when Austin is nearby, he said. The company, which has about 40 employees, is hiring sales and business development mangers, according to its website.
“It’s a challenge finding the right people,” he said.
Cunningham’s previous business, One Source Networks, moved its headquarters to Austin after acquiring a business there several years ago. That business was sold to GTT Communications in McLean, Virginia, in 2015 for $186 million.
Kristen Mosbrucker
Reporter
San Antonio Business Journal
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