Top 5 Global Startup Hubs: Telecommunication

We conducted an exhaustive analysis of the global geographic distribution of 1.095 startups to learn more about the telecommunications startup ecosystem. Read more to find out about the top hubs and innovative startups in the field!

Not long ago, an average consumer’s experience with the telecommunication industry was limited to satellite television (TV), unreliable calls, and slow internet. However, as communication technologies and personal devices have advanced, the far-ranging imprints of the industry are hard to miss. Next-generation technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and fifth-generation (5G) wireless enable new, fast applications in various sectors such as shared mobility, agriculture, manufacturing, and medicine. As more devices interact with each other, telecommunication startups are developing robust infrastructure to provide secure, fast, and reliant communication channels. Massive-scale deployment of orbital satellites, as well as improvements in hardware components required to transmit or receive signals, are also advancing the industry.

Top 5 Global Startup Hubs: Telecommunication

Using our StartUs Insights Platform, we analyzed the geographic distribution of global activity in the telecommunication industry. We identified 47 regional hubs* that observe high activity in developing technology-driven solutions across the industry like decentralized communication, global cellular data, and optical connectivity to name a few.

Within the hubs, we analyzed a sample of 1.095 startups* employing technology-driven solutions to innovate in the industry. Silicon Valley, London, New York City, Tel Aviv, and Los Angeles are home to 307 startups and account for 28 % of global activity in telecommunication. Let us have a look at some of the innovative solutions from these 5 top hubs.

StartUs-Insights_Global-Startup-HUB-Analysis_Map_Telecommunication-noresize

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        Based on our analysis of a sample of 1.095 emerging solutions, North America alone accounts for 42% of the global activity in the telecommunication industry. Several large telecommunication hubs in the US are global tech hubs that bring the power of new technologies to telecom.

        European hubs in London, Tel Aviv, Paris, Amsterdam, etc account for nearly 38% of global activity. Emerging Asian hubs in Singapore and Bangalore lead the region’s activity in the sector.

        1. Silicon Valley: 120 Startups

        As home to hundreds of startups working on technologies such as IoT and wireless connectivity, the region attracts telecommunication companies looking to innovate. Tech giants and a diverse range of startups are exploring solutions at the confluence of tech, media, and telecom (TMT). As the larger companies run out of physical storage for data, they are now looking at satellites in space.

        SignalWire is a Palo Alto-based startup that offers a Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS). Its advanced cloud architecture delivers low-latency, scalable, and reliable telecom services. It runs from private data centers on any hardware to allow customers to extend it to their network edge for use in industrial, surveillance, or other applications in remote areas. The solution uses a software-defined telecom network to intelligently route calls to the closest media server, endpoint, and multiple public switched telephone networks (PSTN).

        2. London: 72 Startups

        The United Kingdom recognizes telecommunication networks as a vital part of the national infrastructure. In a major move for the industry, the United Kingdom started rolling out 5G last year and the technology already covers some towns and cities. The telecom startups in London develop solutions for business telecommunication and intelligent networks, among other use cases.

        London-based startup New Vector provides secure, decentralized communication solutions for governments, businesses, and individuals. Riot.im is a sleek, free, and open-source chat app that enables secure collaboration and communication. It also develops Modular, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that offers dedicated and custom Matrix servers. The startup’s solutions find applications in education, healthcare, and crisis response, among other use cases.

        3. New York City: 55 Startups

        The telecommunication industry is highly competitive in New York City, with startups now extending its application to smart city initiatives in public health and safety. According to estimates, the city creates approximately 3% of global web traffic. As the city’s economy becomes increasingly information-centric, the volume is also bound to grow. In addition to increasing capacity, the city plans to make the telecom networks resilient enough to withstand climate change events such as hurricanes and heatwaves.

        OpenMessage is a New York City-based startup that offers a self-serve mobile messaging service. It allows enterprise brands to reach their customers with personalized, branded text messages that are smarter and more engaging. It creates monetizable conversations that improve conversion rates, as compared to email campaigns. The solution combines dynamic content with links, contact cards, and animations.

        4. Tel Aviv: 31 Startups

        The greater Tel Aviv area, nicknamed Silicon Wadi, mirrors Silicon Valley in the diversity of solutions the startups based there work on. The deep-tech startups in the industry work on semiconductor development, hardware design, and system integrations. The telecom providers in the region are promoting intelligent networks with virtual private networks (VPNs), premium service rates, and toll-free calling.

        Based out of Modi’​in, DustPhotonics develops optical connectivity solutions for next-generation telecommunication networks. Its proprietary technology, AuraDP, optimizes optical coupling with passive fiber alignment and, thereby, reduces power requirements and optical device temperature. The solution enables low-cost and high-volume manufacture of optical transceivers and active optical cables.

        5. Los Angeles: 29 Startups

        Being home to Hollywood and hundreds of tech startups, Los Angeles offers an ideal environment for the technology, media, and telecom (TMT) sector. The city integrates the IoT with telecommunications to offer smart city initiatives. In more far-reaching projects, the region’s prominence as the space tech hub also draws startups that use communication satellites for a variety of telecom solutions.

        CeliTech is a Los Angeles-based startup that offers a digital-only telecommunication platform. It provides global cellular data via a web app and an application programming interface (API) for customers with phones that feature an embedded subscriber identification module (eSIM). The startup offers CeliTech US and CeliTech Global, cellular data services for US-based customers and international travelers, respectively.

        What’s next?

        The data traffic is expected to grow exponentially in the years to come. This is largely due to novel applications made possible by new technologies such as 5G and their adoption by more people worldwide. The industry, in turn, works to provide resilient telecommunication solutions that are easy to deploy and scale.

         

        *We define a hub as the regional geographic center of activity for this topic. It covers the center point with a radius of 100km. We define startups as those founded after 2015.

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