BAI Communications (BAI), a global shared network infrastructure provider, which will operate in the Northern Hemisphere as Boldyn Networks, named Christos Karmis as CEO of Boldyn Networks’ United States (US) Business effective July 1. Christos currently serves as president & CEO of Mobilitie, one of BAI’s group companies.
In the US, BAI is in the process of integrating its four portfolio companies Mobilitie, Signal Point Systems, Transit Wireless and ZenFi Networks into one business entity that will drive its ambitious growth plans in the country. By the end of June, BAI will rebrand globally as Boldyn Networks, becoming an international powerhouse that will continue to design, fund, build, operate, and maintain high capacity, next-generation neutral host infrastructures for customers around the world. Working with mobile and fixed network operators, Boldyn Networks will deliver 5G connectivity to interconnected transit hubs, sports and entertainment venues, commercial real estate properties, smart cities, hospitality venues, military bases and more.
The US organisation brings together established leadership, a team of skilled personnel, and years of experience in the public and private sectors, with shared infrastructure projects to come. Some recent projects include deployments that deliver 5G connectivity to fans at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena and L.A. LIVE, mobile coverage above and below ground for passengers in transit systems like the San Francisco and Bay Area Central Subway system and the New York City Subway, as well as expanded connectivity in the New York and New Jersey metro region through thousands of miles of fibre networks, data centres, small cells, and the LinkNYC project.
Christos Karmis has been instrumental in expanding Mobilitie’s business nationwide. Under his leadership, the portfolio of solutions for large venues and enterprises has grown and allows the company to address any complex infrastructure project where the goal is future-proof connectivity. Christos has overseen the growth of the business across all industry verticals as well as the launch of the company’s private network solutions. He was responsible for the strategic acquisition of Signal Point Systems last year, which provides wireless and wired broadband connectivity to military personnel and their families.
“It’s a very exciting time for the new Boldyn Networks. This news reflects the significant growth in our business globally and the substantial business opportunities that lie ahead for us as one organisation in the US,” says Christos Karmis. “We bring a wealth of experience building and operating large-scale communications infrastructure in complex environments. This move will better position Boldyn Networks in the US marketplace as the neutral host provider of choice for carriers and customers that share our vision of an interconnected future. Our employees and clients are excited about the benefits of being part of a larger global enterprise that is also an innovative and dynamic leader in the industry.”
As part of the new US team structure, Ray LaChance, co-founder and CEO of ZenFi will take a role of senior advisor to Boldyn Networks in the US, with a focus on realising our connectivity vision for the NY Metro area and beyond, and Melinda White will depart from her role as CEO of Transit Wireless in the second half of 2023.
Melinda White has been a senior executive in the BAI Group since joining in 2018. She built and led the team to change Transit Wireless into the 5G and neutral host provider of transit solutions it is today. Melinda’s industry experience, strategic focus, operating expertise and community and state relationships was foundational for this business transformation and the structuring and closing of the NYCT Subway expansion agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). This expansion puts Boldyn Networks at the centre of the public-private partnership with the MTA for the New York City subway network.
Ray LaChance has served as co-founder and CEO of ZenFi Networks (ZenFi) since its inception in 2014, applying his leadership and proven industry expertise to build and deliver digital infrastructure solutions to mobile network operators, large enterprises and telecommunications providers in the New York and New Jersey metro markets. Notable accomplishments over the years include deploying the purpose-built C-RAN infrastructure supporting Google and LinkNYC initiative, merging ZenFi with Cross River Fiber to further expand ZenFi’s fibre network throughout Northern New Jersey, a $200 million (€183.91 million) + investment and partnership with CityBridge to further expand the LinkNYC programme into the wireless infrastructure space, and most recently guiding the organisation through the BAI acquisition of ZenFi. Throughout his career spanning 30+ years, LaChance has become a respected thought leader in the global network technology industry.
Igor Leprince, group CEO of BAI Communications says, “Our companies in the US have an amazing track record for infrastructure deployments. The contributions of Christos and our forward-thinking leadership team, coupled with their knowledge of the US market will be critical in building a stronger global organisation for Boldyn Networks. I firmly believe that the integrated US organisation will be in extremely capable hands.”
The newly formed Boldyn Networks’ solutions include indoor and outdoor neutral host DAS, small cells, Wi-Fi networks, towers, private networks, fibre and other infrastructure used by wireless carriers to enable high-speed mobile communications. In the US, BAI companies have already deployed +10,000 small cells, 250 venues for indoor DAS, and have major transit partners in key cities like San Francisco, Seattle and NYC. BAI companies also support connectivity in over 75 US military bases with the rights to deploy infrastructure in 40 more, and own and operate the largest public outdoor free Wi-Fi network through the LinkNYC programme.
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