What Vicinity Technologies does

Vicinity Technologies Limited is a Bristol, United Kingdom-based private company founded in 2023 that develops software-defined radio (SDR)-based 5G infrastructure for system integrators, private network operators, and non-terrestrial network (NTN) applications. Its portfolio spans 4G and 5G base stations (indoor and outdoor small cells, distributed units, integrated high-power base stations, and RRUs across FR1 and mmWave), 5G core network software, software-defined user equipment, and end-to-end NTN solutions for satellite-terrestrial convergence. The technology is built on Intel X86, NXP Layerscape/i.MX, and Qualcomm FSM100 platforms, and incorporates proprietary features such as NL-COMM non-linear MIMO signal processing (developed with the University of Surrey), world-first software-defined 5G user equipment achieving sub-1ms latency and five-9s reliability, and O-RAN compliant architecture. The team holds over 30 granted patents in wireless technologies and reports 20+ years of cumulative 5G product development experience.

The company monetizes through four primary revenue streams: hardware sales of base stations, RRUs, user terminals, and a 5G starter kit; L1-L3 software IP licensing (including PHY algorithms and NL-COMM); professional engineering services embedded with customers; and government grant-funded R&D programmes (ESA and UKSA have awarded approximately €2.4 million for NTN development, with cumulative 2025 funding from UKSA and ESA totaling roughly $17.7 million). Distribution is hybrid: direct sales-led enterprise engagement, channel partnerships with Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) and system integrators, and government programme work. Customer segments include rural and underserved-area network operators, Industry 4.0/industrial automation (URLLC, TSN, robotics), smart city and enterprise campus networks, and satellite communications providers. Geographic reach already extends across the UK, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, China, the US, and the EU. Despite a stated headcount of 1-10 employees, the company reports 250+ licensed customers and 2,000+ products shipped globally and operates engineering presence at Surrey Research Park alongside University of Surrey's 5G/6G research ecosystem.

Name

Vicinity Technologies

Legal name

Vicinity Technologies Limited

Website

https://vicinitysys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vicinity Technologies is a Bristol, UK-based company developing software-defined 5G infrastructure — base stations, user equipment, and non-terrestrial network solutions — for system integrators, private network operators, and industrial automation customers across Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

5G Network Infrastructure

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Private LTE/5G Network Operators & Managed Services (HDAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial/OT Private Connectivity (Factory, Mining, Ports) (HDAIAGAD), Virtualized EPC/5GC Core (vEPC/v5GC) (HDAFANAD), Wireless Networking Services (Wi‑Fi, Private LTE/5G) (BPAEAEAE)

Keywords

• 5G infrastructure solutions
• Software-defined radio
• Private 5G networks
• O-RAN base stations
• Non-terrestrial networks

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. 5G Hardware Sales: Sale of 5G infrastructure products including base stations (indoor/outdoor small cells, distributed solutions, integrated high-power base stations), RRUs, and user equipment terminals. Products are sold directly and through channel partners to private network operators, rural deployments, and system integrators.
2. Software IP Licensing (L1-L3): Licensing of Vicinity's proprietary L1-L3 software stack for 5G base stations and terminals, enabling clients to integrate and customize the software for their specific applications. This includes PHY algorithms, protocol stack software, and advanced MIMO decoding algorithms (NL-COMM).
3. Professional Engineering Services: Outsourcing of Vicinity's skilled engineers to support clients in developing 5G-based products. This includes outsourced workforce to customer product development, R&D project collaboration, and end-to-end system integration support.
4. 5G Starter Kit Sales: Sale of end-to-end starter kits containing 5G core network, base station, and user equipment for rapid deployment and evaluation, enabling customers to quickly bring 5G products to market.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vicinity Technologies Limited designs, develops, and sells complete 5G infrastructure solutions based on software-defined radio (SDR), including base stations (indoor/outdoor small cells, distributed base stations, integrated high-power base stations), radio units (RRUs), 5G core network software, and software-defined 5G user equipment. The company also licenses its proprietary L1-L3 5G NR software IP and offers professional engineering services to system integrators, private network operators, and WISPs for rapid time-to-deployment. Additional offerings include end-to-end Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) satellite 5G infrastructure and 6G-ready SDR platforms.

Product overview

Vicinity Technologies offers a comprehensive suite of 5G infrastructure solutions comprising base stations, radio units, small cells, and software products. The portfolio includes both 4G and 5G products across three main categories: Outdoor Solutions (Outdoor RRU, Integrated High Power Base Stations), Indoor Solutions (Indoor Small Cells, Indoor Pico RRU), and Distributed Solutions (FR1 and mmWave Distributed Base Stations, mmWave AAU Pro). Products are powered by various platforms including Qualcomm FSM100, Intel X86, and NXP processors. The company also offers software IP licensing (L1-L3) and a 5G Starter Kit combining core, small cell, and UE for rapid deployment. The solutions serve private network operators, rural deployments, industrial IoT, and non-terrestrial network (NTN) applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 5G FR1 Distributed Base Station Intel X86-based 5G distributed base station offering localized coverage with support for 2CC 4T4R or 4CC 2T2R NR TDD configurations and 400 active users per cell.
• 5G mmWave Distributed Base Station Intel X86-based base station offering indoor and outdoor mmWave coverage supporting 2CC 2T2R 200MHz n257 configurations with 200 active users per cell.
• 5G Integrated High Power Base Station Compact integrated base station offering localized coverage in high-density areas or where macro base stations face limitations, supporting N79 band (4900-5000MHz) with 100MHz bandwidth.
• 4G+5G Integrated High Power Base Station Compact integrated base station supporting two 2TR 5G cells and two 2TR 4G cells with 3GPP 5G Release 15 and LTE Release 13 compliance.
• 4G + 5G Indoor Small Cell Dual-mode indoor small cell addressing indoor coverage challenges such as weak signals, blind spots, and interference with support for 128 active users per 5G cell and 64 per 4G cell.
• 5G Indoor Small Cell Built on Qualcomm FSM100 5G RAN platform, designed to address indoor coverage challenges including weak signals, blind spots, and interference with support for 64 active users per cell.
• 4G Distributed Base Station NXP-based distributed base station solution offering localized coverage in high-density areas with support for 4CC 4T4R or 6CC 2T2R configurations and 200 active users per cell.
• 4G + 5G Indoor Outdoor RRU Radio frequency unit for 4G + 5G outdoor base stations that works with a baseband unit to form a complete base station for mobile cellular networks.
• 4G + 5G Outdoor RRU Radio frequency unit for 4G + 5G outdoor base stations supporting NR N41 and LTE B3 bands with 2TR configuration.
• 4G Outdoor RRU Radio frequency unit for 4G outdoor base stations working with a baseband unit to form complete 4G base stations.
• 5G FR1 Outdoor RRU Radio frequency unit for 5G NR outdoor base stations supporting N41/N77/N78/N79 bands with 4TR or 2TR configurations and 100MHz bandwidth.
• 5G FR1 Indoor Pico RRU Radio frequency unit for 5G NR indoor distributed base stations supporting N41/N78/N79 bands with 4T4R configuration.
• 5G mmWave Distributed AAU Pro Active Antenna Unit for 5G NR indoor type base stations supporting MIMO with N257/N258 compliance and online software upgrade capability.
• 5G Starter Kit Complete 5G infrastructure software solution with ecosystem for quick time to market, including 5G core, indoor small cell, and user equipment.
• Software-Defined 5G User Equipment (UE) World-first software-defined 5G User Equipment based on SDR technology, delivering ultra-low latency (under 1ms), ultra-low jitter (clock jitter less than 2 microseconds), highly synchronized clock distribution over the air, and five-9s reliability for industrial automation. Powered by NXP i.MX 8M Plus and LA9310 baseband.
• 5G NTN End-to-End Solutions End-to-end satellite-based 5G infrastructure including NTN base stations and user terminals for satellite-terrestrial integration, developed with €2.4 million in ESA and UKSA grant funding to deliver satellite-based 5G connectivity.
• 6G-Ready SDR Platforms Software-defined radio platforms designed for 5G Advanced and future 6G networks, supporting evolution beyond current 5G specifications.
• 5G NR L1-L3 Software IP Licensing Licensing of Vicinity's proprietary L1-L3 software stack for 5G base stations and terminals, including PHY algorithms, protocol stack software, and advanced MIMO decoding algorithms (NL-COMM), enabling clients to integrate and customize the software for their specific applications.
• Professional Engineering Services Outsourcing of Vicinity's skilled engineers to support clients in developing 5G-based products, including outsourced workforce to customer product development, R&D project collaboration, and end-to-end system integration support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250+ licensed customers globally
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NXP SemiconductorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2025Vicinity and NXP have partnered to develop advanced 5G software stack optimized for industrial IoT, automation, and robotics. Built on NXP's 5G+ platform with i.MX applications processors and Layerscape baseband processors, the solution integrates SN200E UICC/eSIM technologies to provide ultra-reliable, low-latency, and secure connectivity for mission-critical industrial environments. This partnership was showcased at MWC 2025 and 5G-ACIA events.
• University of SurreycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2025Vicinity announced a strategic collaboration with the University of Surrey to integrate NL-COMM (non-linear MIMO signal processing technology) into its 5G base stations and terminals. The partnership, led by Prof. Konstantinos Nikitopoulos and supported by DSIT and Innovate UK, aims to accelerate development of 5G and beyond communications systems by boosting data throughput, reducing costs, and optimizing power efficiency. Live demonstrations were featured at MWC 2025.
• Space South CentralcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2025Vicinity Technologies formally joined the Space South Central network, the UK's largest regional space cluster covering Hampshire, Surrey, and the Isle of Wight. The partnership aims to advance 5G non-terrestrial communications, forge new relationships with potential customers and collaborators in the UK and internationally, and establish government-funded projects for next-generation core technologies and products.
• SETsquared Surrey (Surrey Research Park)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2025Vicinity holds resident membership at SETsquared Surrey at Surrey Research Park, embedded within the University of Surrey's innovation district. This incubator membership provides access to top talent, funding, collaborations, and networking opportunities, supporting the company's growth and space sector innovation initiatives.
• NepheliecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2025Vicinity and Nephelie collaborated on HOLONET, a pioneering solution integrating 5G connectivity and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) with next-generation wireless 3D volumetric video capture (VolCap). The solution combines Vicinity's 5G base stations and terminals with Nephelie's portable VolCap system for ultra-precise multi-camera synchronization and real-time 3D content creation. Showcased at MWC 2025.
• 6G SandboxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVicinity Technologies is a partner/member of the 6G Sandbox ecosystem, collaborating on next-generation 6G research and development initiatives.
• TechUKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVicinity Technologies is a member of TechUK, participating in the UK technology industry's ecosystem and networking activities.
• UK TIN (Telecommunications Industry Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVicinity Technologies is a member of UK TIN, engaging with the UK telecommunications industry's innovation network.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Druid Software: Private cellular network core software specialist (Raven engine) deployed across enterprise and industrial 5G use cases. Comparable as a small, focused vendor enabling private 5G for verticals.
• Celona: Enterprise private 5G specialist focused on simplified deployment of cellular networks for industrial and enterprise campuses. Comparable in go-to-market (system integrators + enterprise private 5G) and product scope.
• Mavenir: Open RAN and cloud-native packet core vendor supplying 4G/5G software to operators and enterprises. Directly comparable in 5G core, RAN software IP, and private network offerings.
• Airspan Networks: Small cell and private 5G vendor with Open RAN portfolio serving WISPs, enterprises, and rural operators. Comparable hardware/software positioning and customer base overlap with Vicinity.
• Parallel Wireless: Open RAN and private cellular network provider offering 2G/3G/4G/5G solutions to operators and enterprises. Closely comparable to Vicinity as a small-form-factor O-RAN-focused vendor serving private network operators and WISPs.
• JMA Wireless: US-based provider of private 4G/5G, CBRS, and O-RAN radio solutions for enterprises, venues, and industrial customers. Comparable to Vicinity in selling software-defined cellular infrastructure to private network buyers.

Emerging players

• Benetel: Ireland-based small cell and O-RAN RU developer serving private 5G and open RAN trials. Comparable product category (small cells, RUs) and similar early-stage scale.
• ASOCS: Provider of virtualized 5G/4G base stations for industrial and enterprise private networks. Comparable in delivering software-defined cellular infrastructure to industrial customers.

Broad incumbents

• Ericsson: Global RAN incumbent with a private 5G portfolio (Ericsson Private 5G) targeting manufacturing, utilities, and mining. Sets the competitive benchmark for industrial private 5G incumbents.
• Nokia: Global incumbent RAN and private wireless vendor (Nokia Digital Automation Cloud, MX Industrial Edge). Competes broadly with Vicinity in private 5G for industrial and enterprise use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vicinity-technologies-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vicinity Technologies