WeLink

Last updated

WeLink
TypePrivate
Industry telecommunications, wireless, high-speed Internet
Founded2018 [1]
FoundersKevin Ross, Ahsan Naim [1]
Headquarters Lehi, Utah, United States
Key people
Kevin Ross, chairman and CEO [1]
Mark Trout, president [2]
Ahsan Nain, CTO [1]
ProductsWireless Internet service provider
Website welink.com

WeLink is a Lehi, Utah-based fixed wireless internet service provider (ISP). [1] It connects individual homes to the internet via small, rooftop antennae that form a neighborhood mesh network that blankets entire neighborhoods. [1]

Contents

The company was founded in 2018 by Kevin Ross and Ahsan Naim. [1]

History

WeLink was founded in 2018 by Kevin Ross and Ahsan Naim. [3] Ross had previously worked at smart home service provider Vivint. [1] Ross became the company's Chairman and CEO. [1] Naim was a wireless industry veteran with Sprint and AT&T. [3] He became the company's CTO.

The company's first service area was Las Vegas. [4] The company later expanded into nearby Henderson, Nevada. [4]

In January 2021, the company raised $185 million from venture capital firm Digital Alpha Advisors, a telecom VC with close ties to technology company Cisco. [5] In November, the company expanded its service into Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. [6]

In March 2022, Mark Trout joined the company as president. [2] In May, the company partnered with the Washington DC government to create a Community Internet Program offering low-cost internet service to area residents. [7] [8] Households that met the guidelines of President Biden's Affordable Connectivity Program would qualify for discounted service. [7] In July, the company announced it had completed the first phase of its network rollout in Washington DC. [9]

Services

WeLink develops a mesh network of wireless base stations to transmit high-bandwidth signals across neighborhoods. [5] The company's mesh technology allows anchor customers served with a high-speed fiber connection to share Gigabit wireless connections with nearby households. [2] The company leases fiber-optic bandwidth from existing service providers to set up its hubs. [1] A small base station is installed on a customer's roof, and a cable runs down to the home's router or Wi-Fi equipment. [5] The wireless service is based on 5G millimeter wave technology and 60 GHz wireless technology. [10] [5]

As of July 2022, the company offered wireless service in Las Vegas, Henderson, Phoenix, Tucson, and Washington DC. [2] [9] The company reportedly also has several partnerships in international markets. [11]

The company's WeLink Cities program works with city governments to deploy the company's technology. [2]

Operations

WeLink is headquartered in Lehi, Utah. [1] Kevin Ross is the company's chairman and CEO as of July 2022. [1] Mark Trout is the company's president as of July 2022. [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "WeLink, the 'anti-cable company' brings wireless 5G internet to Phoenix, Tucson". Arizona Business Journal. November 9, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "WeLink expands leadership team, plots growth". Light Reading. March 24, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "WeLink scores funding boost for FWA market expansion". Fierce Wireless. January 11, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Wireless WeLink turns up mmWave fixed wireless in new markets". Fierce Wireless. November 9, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "WeLink raises $185M to deliver high-bandwidth wireless internet to the home using 5G". Techcrunch. January 7, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  6. "WeLink expands FWA in Las Vegas and Phoenix". Light Reading. November 9, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "DC just launched a new Community Internet Program for affordable broadband". Technically. May 16, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  8. "DC Residents to Access Free or Low-Cost Internet via New Program". DC Post. May 17, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "The Build Out: WeLink debuts in DC". Light Reading. July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  10. "WeLink is Latest Provider to Offer Gigabit Fixed Wireless – and It's Symmetrical". Telecompetitor. November 9, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  11. "New York City's former CTO joins broadband start-up". Cities Today. March 4, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2022.