“Modular masts and Digital Twin will make the telecoms sector more efficient and smarter”

Benchmark Telecom, based in Aalter, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The SME has grown to become a leading supplier of mobile phone masts and services to telecoms operators. To mark the anniversary, the company is launching two new solutions: a modular mast and a linked Digital Twin platform. In doing so, Benchmark Telecom reaffirms its role as a technological pioneer in the telecoms sector. “With the expertise we have built up over the past 20 years, we remain committed to investing in solutions that help operators move forward, both today and tomorrow,” say founders and co-CEOs Steven Nagels and Bart Rogiers.

Steven Nagels and Bart Rogiers already had some experience in the world of mobile telephony when, in 2006, they decided to set up their own company specialising in services for mobile telecoms operators. Today, Benchmark Telecom supports these operators and their technology partners in the search for sites for mobile phone masts, their construction and installation, network upgrades and temporary solutions for additional coverage and capacity.

Thanks to its combination of technical expertise and flexibility, the company has established a strong position in the market. “We’ve never had the ambition to become the biggest. But we do want to excel in quality, speed and technical knowledge. That’s precisely why clients such as Telenet, Citymesh, Ericsson and Nokia have chosen to work with us,” says Bart Rogiers. “Our services also extend beyond mobile networks. For example, we were involved in the roll-out of DAB+ in Belgium, and the Ministry of Defence has also recently started working with us.”.

Innovation as a driver of growth

Benchmark Telecom’s growth has run parallel to the evolution of the sector. Steven Nagels: “First came the roll-out of 4G, then 5G, with ever-increasing demands in terms of capacity, reliability and speed. We contributed to large-scale roll-outs, built new sites and carried out numerous upgrades and swaps. We also expanded our offering to include temporary network solutions for major events, festivals and crisis situations, where extra mobile capacity is needed quickly. We have evolved from an operational supplier into a partner that devises solutions.”

A key driver of this transition is the company’s own innovation department. “With our Fools’ Lab, we don’t want to wait for the market to tell us what it needs. We want to be at the forefront of developing innovative solutions that our customers can start using tomorrow,” emphasises Bart Rogiers. Among other things, the Ranger product family emerged from this R&D department: mobile masts that can be quickly erected and dismantled and are now being used both at home and abroad. At the end of last year, the range was further expanded with the Ranger XL, a telescopic mast that reaches heights of up to 30 metres and can be operational at any location in Belgium within a few hours.  

Two new innovations

During the celebrations for its 20th anniversary last week, Benchmark Telecom unveiled two new innovations. It has developed a modular lattice mast for antennas, which enables operators to reduce their carbon footprint. The first unit was installed at the Spa-Francorchamps Formula 1 circuit. “In addition, we are working with our partner QBIC to develop a Digital Twin platform to digitally map telecoms infrastructure and manage it more intelligently,” says Bart Rogiers. “After all, the bar in this sector is constantly being raised, both technically and in terms of sustainability and efficiency. With our new solutions, we are determined to remain a pioneer in supporting the sector in this regard.”