21 April 2026
In 2026, CableFree celebrates three decades at the forefront of wireless technology — a remarkable milestone for a company that has helped define how the world connects. Founded in 1996, CableFree: Wireless Excellence has grown from a visionary UK start-up into a global leader in wireless communications, exporting its technology to more than 95 countries. Three decades on, the company continues to push the boundaries of innovation, designing and manufacturing advanced wireless solutions that power everything from broadband connectivity to next generation 5G networks.
“For three decades, we’ve been driving innovation in wireless technology, building the fastest, most scalable infrastructure from broadband wireless to 5G and beyond,” says CableFree CEO and founder, Stephen Patrick. “Our mission has always been simple but ambitious — to connect the unconnected, and to do so with excellence.”
From a British Pioneer to a Global Exporter
When CableFree was founded in Oxford in 1996, the internet was in its infancy, and broadband was still a novelty. The company’s early goal was clear: to deliver high capacity wireless links in areas where fibre optics were impractical or uneconomical. At the time, this meant rethinking how data could travel through the air — faster, farther, and more reliably than ever before.
CableFree’s pioneering use of Free Space Optics (FSO) delivered 500Mbps in 1997 - a world of dial-up internet – followed by radio, microwave, and millimetre wave (MMW) technologies quickly attracted attention from operators, governments, and enterprises seeking to extend networks without the cost and disruption of cables. These innovations positioned CableFree as a British technology leader with global relevance.
Unlike others, CableFree has maintained a firm commitment to UK based research and manufacturing. By designing, assembling, and testing all key products in the UK, the company ensured uncompromising quality control and rapid turn around — crucial factors in a fast moving wireless market. That philosophy remains intact today, underpinning every system that leaves CableFree’s production line.
With installations in more than 95 countries — from Africa’s emerging smart cities to Europe’s energy and transport networks — CableFree has connected communities, enterprises, and critical infrastructure across the globe. Its wireless solutions are now in service from the Arctic Circle to the equator, proving both resilient and adaptable to distinctive environments.
Three Decades of Technological Leadership
CableFree’s 30 year journey mirrors the transformation of wireless communications itself. In its first decade, the company delivered robust point to point and point to multipoint systems for broadband access, long before the mainstream arrival of Wi Fi or LTE. As the digital economy took off, CableFree met rising demand for faster connectivity by developing increasingly powerful radio platforms capable of multi gigabit throughput.
During the 2010s, as mobile data usage exploded, CableFree became a pioneer in wireless backhaul — the critical infrastructure linking corporate and telco networks. Its high capacity microwave and millimetre wave radios provided the performance and reliability that networks needed to keep pace with the broadband data revolution. Features such as adaptive modulation, intelligent bandwidth allocation, advanced networking features and hitless failover made CableFree systems the backbone of many significant deployments.
Today, the company’s expertise extends to 5G and private network solutions, where it has demonstrated clear leadership. CableFree’s 5G base stations and custom wireless backhaul systems offer enterprises and network operators the flexibility to design secure, ultra reliable, and scalable networks. These private 5G systems unlock use cases such as autonomous logistics, remote manufacturing, and industrial IoT — all requiring low latency and guaranteed performance.
“Private 5G is not just a faster version of mobile broadband,” explains Patrick. “It’s an entirely new approach that allows organisations to take control of their networks. CableFree’s role is to deliver the tools that make that possible — high performance, scalable systems built to last.”
A Culture of Innovation and Collaboration
CableFree’s longevity and success stem not only from its technology but from its people. The company has cultivated a strong culture of research, collaboration, and practical engineering excellence. Its R&D teams work side by side with production, quality assurance, and customer support, creating a seamless feedback loop from design through deployment.
Collaboration extends beyond the company walls to a network of industrial innovation partners — organisations that share CableFree’s passion for solving connectivity challenges at scale. These partnerships include collaboration with specialist component manufacturers and advanced materials specialists, helping accelerate product development and bring cutting edge ideas to market. By working closely with innovators across complementary industries, CableFree ensures its products remain at the forefront of performance, efficiency, and reliability.
“Our strength has always been our engineering talent,” says Patrick. “We bring together expertise in radio, microwave, millimetre wave, optical and network technologies, and integrate into novel and market-leading products. That’s how we innovate quickly, respond to customer needs, and maintain true wireless excellence.”
Sustainability and the Future of Connectivity
As the world grows more connected, efficiency and sustainability have become defining factors in network technology. CableFree has embedded environmental awareness into its design philosophy, creating equipment that minimises power consumption, supports renewable energy sources, and reduces lifecycle carbon impact. Many of its wireless systems are used in remote or off grid locations powered by solar energy — enabling connectivity with minimal environmental footprint.
Crucially, wireless technology itself helps reduce environmental disruption by eliminating the need for extensive trenching and fibre cabling. This accelerates deployment and preserves landscapes, while still delivering fibre equivalent speeds. CableFree’s eco conscious approach aligns with broader sustainability goals shared by operators and governments worldwide.
Looking ahead, the company sees continued growth in demand for multi gigabit connectivity to support the next wave of digital transformation — from AI driven automation to connected transport and smart energy systems. CableFree’s forward roadmap focuses on enhancing its radios and millimetre wave platforms, integrating AI for adaptive network optimisation, and updating its private 5G architecture for mission critical use cases to 6G and beyond.
The future – Powered by CableFree
As CableFree celebrates its 30th anniversary, the company is as focused on the future as it is proud of its past. From its foundation in 1996 to its global presence today, CableFree has shown that sustained innovation, quality engineering, and customer partnership can achieve extraordinary results.
“Thirty years is a proud milestone, but it’s also a beginning,” reflects Patrick. “Every new generation of wireless technology brings new opportunities. Our role is to keep leading that evolution — with innovation, performance, and British excellence at our core.”
From broadband wireless to 5G, 6G and beyond, CableFree continues to shape the networks that keep the world connected — reliably, intelligently, and without limits.
