BAI strengthens private network reach with Titan ICT acquisition

BAI Communications has completed its acquisition of Titan ICT, an advanced communications engineering company with a two decade track record of delivering dedicated networks for the mining, resources and energy industries.

The deal, first announced in July, formally closed this week following regulatory approvals. Titan ICT now becomes part of BAI, expanding its service offering across private mobile networks and operational communications systems at a time when demand for secure, high performance connectivity is accelerating.

Titan ICT was founded in 2003 by Mike Stegena and is led by Managing Director Chris Upstone. The company has long standing relationships with major mining and energy customers and is already rolling out several private mobile networks for Tier 1 operators. Its expertise spans LTE, microwave, IP and radio networks, which slot neatly into BAI’s existing infrastructure capabilities.

BAI chief executive Peter Lambourne said the acquisition was a milestone for the company’s growth strategy. “Bringing Titan ICT into BAI solidifies our position as a leading mission critical network provider and increases the opportunities for new and specialised projects driven by our talented teams. Titan ICT’s expertise in private LTE deployments further strengthens BAI’s competitive position as we look to leverage our spectrum allocation to support and accelerate the expansion of our communications offering, including for the delivery of private network solutions,” he said.

For BAI, the attraction is clear. The combination of its financial strength and spectrum access with Titan ICT’s established reputation and engineering capability creates a platform capable of meeting the growing needs of industries where connectivity underpins safety, automation and productivity.

Chris Upstone said the alignment between the two businesses was natural. “We share a cultural and operational alignment with BAI that will ensure our customer centric approach remains a priority into the future. Additionally, our combined expertise in segments such as private LTE and managed services puts us in an exciting position to scale, drive growth in our customer solutions and create new development opportunities for our people,” he said.

The integration will broaden BAI’s national footprint and strengthen its presence in critical communications. With mining, resources and energy companies increasingly investing in private mobile networks to boost efficiency and worker safety, the timing appears well judged.

Lambourne said the focus would now be on combining teams and capabilities. “Our immediate focus is to best serve the mission critical connectivity needs of our customers, while ensuring continuity and support for the outstanding work Titan ICT is delivering in the market,” he said.

In an environment where digital transformation is reshaping heavy industry, the BAI and Titan ICT partnership represents both scale and specialisation. Together they are positioned to capture a growing slice of the private network opportunity.