Wireless Connectivity Integrator Reflects on the Evolving Market Landscape and Shares its Vision for the Future
FARMINGTON HILLS, MI, January 4, 2024 – RF Connect, an integrator specializing in wireless connectivity, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. To mark this milestone, the company has published a timeline that chronicles major highlights over the 20 years and has released a commemorative logo that will be used throughout the year.
Since its founding in 2004 by current president and CEO, Leonard A. Kruszewski, the company has been trusted by well-known hospitals, universities, corporations, industrial facilities, municipalities, and more as well as by leading product manufacturers, technology consultants, network suppliers, and other ecosystem participants to provide indoor and outdoor wireless connectivity to enable cellular voice communications and data networking, and to ensure public-safety workers and first responders can communicate during an emergency.
“We’ve been successful because we have a clear vision of what RF Connect does and a set of core values that guides how we behave,” said Kruszewski. “As a result, we’ve been able to attract and retain top talent who are passionate about innovating, educating customers, tailoring solutions to their needs, and supporting them. Plus, being fortunate to participate in a vibrant market.”
The market has changed significantly since the early days of RF Connect. “When we started the business, BlackBerry handsets ruled the day utilizing 3G cellular networks, Wi-Fi 802.11g was still in its infancy, and Nextel was the foremost adopter of in-building wireless networks,” recalled Kruszewski. “We were one of the first integrators to focus on solving for indoor cellular connectivity – relying upon a product toolkit which comprised off-air donor antenna repeaters and ‘leaky coax’ cabling solutions.”
Over the following two decades, the wireless industry experienced meteoric growth which informed the trajectory for RF Connect. “Smartphones were the catalyst that ushered what we now refer to as ‘mobility’ and the requirement of connectivity as the ‘fifth utility’,” said Kruszewski. “The market has snowballed primarily on the momentum of 4G and 5G and, of course, Wi-Fi 802.11g through the Wi-Fi 7 generation and now, Private Wireless Networks (PWNs). But the adoption of critical communication public-safety codes, the buildout of the FirstNet nationwide public-safety broadband system (NPSBN), and the commercialization of Citizens Band Radio Service (CBRS) have also unlocked growth opportunities.”
Current and emerging mega trends such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Connected Workforce, and Digital Transformation suggest the future for RF Connect remains bright. “The upper levels of the OSI Model where value generation applications, data analytics, and intelligence exist can’t happen without connectivity,” observed Kruszewski. “Notably, the de facto method of connectivity – particularly at the edge – is wireless.”
The importance of wireless connectivity cannot be overstated. According to a top research firm, wireless networks are now viewed by the C-Suite as delivering a higher business value than merely connectivity by enabling user experience, operational efficiencies, and analytic insight outcomes. Additionally, wireless connectivity drives compelling use cases such as Smart Cities, Industrial IoT (IIoT), Homework Gap, HealthTech, Digital Divide, Smart Utilities, Big Data Agriculture, Mobility, and more.
As RF Connect enters its next chapter, the company will continue to execute a play-to-win strategy to fully realize long-term growth potential. “Our business outlook is to place early bets and be patient while they incubate yet be agile to respond appropriately to changing market conditions,” said Kruszewski. “It’s not about being first. It’s about being early to get in the game, to watch and learn, and to accelerate and improve at the right time.”
Guided by this strategy, the company will continue to innovate market solutions, foster relationships with best-of-breed partners, and optimize its team by upskilling existing personnel and recruiting market subject matter experts. “We’re continuously advancing,” declared Kruszewski. “One of our key growth opportunities is in Private Wireless Networks which includes CBRS-based ‘neutral host networks’ utilizing Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) for smartphone enablement. We launched CELLocity in 2022 to address this market, added Doug Kwiatkowski to the leadership team in 2023 to drive our PWN practice, and have other exciting initiatives for this sector that are under way.”
Pragmatically, RF Connect remains steadfast in its agnostic stance on technology solutions and funding models. “There’s no silver bullet solution,” noted Kruszewski. “Navigating the many options to support the unique business and technical requirements for any given project requires a well-thought-out strategy architected by a proven and trusted advisor. That’s really the ‘secret sauce’ to our success RF Connect.”
The company will celebrate its 20-year anniversary throughout 2024. To learn about updates and activities, visit www.rfconnect.com and follow on LinkedIn.
