Hi, I'm Stephen Patrick, the founder and CEO of CableFree, a 28-year-old technology company that has deployed wireless connectivity in over 90 countries.
CableFree prides itself on its broad customer base. We cater to almost anyone, anywhere: telecom operators, service providers, national governments, the UN, and vertical sectors including education, broadcast, healthcare and security. My colleagues and I have also participated in community-led enterprises. A few years ago we connected 4,500 schools and healthcare faculties in Africa at the lowest cost possible while offering the best service quality. CableFree designed and deployed the solution using a mix of 4G FWA from existing towers and Mesh WiFi around each location.
When we go to market, we compete against vendors that are much larger in scale and resources – yet we are expected to offer an equal standard of service, if not better. My team achieves this by supporting networks throughout their lifecycle, ranking within the “Top 3 in Europe” based on the number of shipped 5G radios by vendors who actually manufacture on the continent - the other two being industry giants Nokia and Ericsson.
I am a technologist by training, and an entrepreneur by profession. My job is to meet the needs of products, customers and technology while considering the future. Today’s focus must align with society’s upcoming wants and needs: what will the demands of tomorrow be?
What do you enjoy most about working in this space?
The challenge: I enjoy attempting things that haven’t been done before – and the afterglow. There is no better feeling than a customer writing to tell us how delighted they are with our technology and service and what it achieved for them. That is very gratifying personally, as well as for our team.
What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve done in the name of work?
There are quite a few! Being asked for futuristic 4G/LTE to deploy on the moon, or FSO/laser links into space. More practically, we’ve deployed 5G base stations on high altitude balloons, implemented the world’s longest IP microwave link - across the Mediterranean at over 230km, supplied portable links for multiple F1 teams to take around the world, and shipped products to over 90 countries. We’re frequently asked for the seemingly impossible - on technology, performance and budget.
What excites you most about working in telecoms?
Apart from being at the forefront of wireless tech - a key theme is “Connecting the Unconnected”. Some years after the Africa project concluded, one of our partners visited a school in a small town in Rwanda and reported that our products were still working exactly as they should. Working with partners we changed the lives of thousands and thousands of people, either in the formative stage of education - providing access to resources - or across their lifespan, improving healthcare facilities and expanding knowledge.
What would you like people to know about your work?
We daily expand the art of the possible – designing things that the industry didn’t conceive of, and building products that push boundaries forward like never before.
Why is a vibrant, flourishing telecoms ecosystem important for the UK?
It makes sense economically. The UK has the sixth largest economy in the world but is dominated by finance. Our country has excellent links to international trade and an impressive talent pool. Telecom tech presents a global opportunity. Collectively we should capitalise on telecoms and build a strong ecosystem. Let’s regain our place as a world-leading technology manufacturer and centre of excellence.
