Firecell

Firecell is a provider of private 5G connectivity for enterprises, positioning its networks as an alternative to Wi-Fi in large and complex industrial spaces. The company delivers turnkey solutions intended to connect and orchestrate fleets of autonomous robots (AGVs and AMRs), drones, robotic arms, forklifts, machines, sensors, cameras, barcode scanners, smartphones, tablets and industrial routers, with stated aims of real-time monitoring of equipment and inventory, asset tracking and reduced production downtime.

The offering spans network software and integrated hardware. Firecell states that its 5G networks extend an existing enterprise LAN without special integration work, with user-equipment IP addresses allocated by a DHCP server on the enterprise LAN, and that a Network Management System lets a customer's IT team operate the network without telecom expertise. Advertised technical characteristics include latency below 20 ms (compared with a cited 200 ms for Wi-Fi), seamless hand-off at speeds up to 35 km/h, operation on a private licensed local frequency to avoid interference, SIM/eSIM authentication with an intrusion detection system, end-to-end encryption, and priority-based scheduling for deterministic quality of service. The company also claims private 5G requires 5 to 20 times fewer access points and less cabling than Wi-Fi, and that it emits less radiation than Wi-Fi or smartphones, offering to run radiation studies for customers.

Its product range includes the Orion Network, an open-source 5G lab network for outdoor and large indoor development and testing covering more than 10,000 m² with up to ten 5G access points and an O-RAN option; the Pegasus Pop-up, a mobile indoor/outdoor private 5G network covering more than 1,000 m² with one access point and an SLA; and the Pegasus Network, a scalable indoor/outdoor private 5G network covering more than 10,000 m² with up to ten access points and an SLA. Firecell also sells a 4G & 5G Labkit used in research and education settings.

Business model

Firecell sells pre-configured, pre-integrated private 5G network products — lab networks, pop-up networks and scalable site networks — together with radios, antennas, servers and pre-validated 5G devices. It supports customers from lab setup through large-site deployments and, with a partner network of system integrators, offers a choice of self-managed or managed service levels with SLAs.

Traction

Public testimonials cite use of Firecell's 4G & 5G Labkit by a university electrical engineering department and by the U.S. NIST Industrial Wireless Systems project, whose project leader cited full visibility of the core and radio access network as a key factor in selecting the Labkit and referenced Firecell's OAI-based 5G distribution.