Data Center POST Interview with Eric Mercer, Director of Business Development, Transit Wireless

 By Contributing Editor, Kathy Xu

Eric Mercer is Director of Business Development for Transit Wireless LLC, an industry leader in the design, deployment and operation of advanced cellular, Wi-Fi and fiber technology solutions. Since joining Transit Wireless’s leadership team in 2011, Eric uses his industry knowledge and operational and legal expertise to successfully negotiate and execute agreements to build relationships with wireless carriers. Capitalizing on his established relationships with both national and New York market wireless providers, Eric has secured long-term contracts with all four major wireless carriers to provide top-tier wireless service to the riders of the New York City subways.

With the NEDAS 2018 NYC Summit under his belt, Eric sat down with Data Center POST to look back on this year in the wireless industry and discuss how this event showcases the future of Transit Wireless.

Data Center POST, Kathy Xu (DCP-KX) Question: How has the in-building wireless industry changed in the past 12 months?

Transit Wireless, Eric Mercer (TW-EM) Answer: The wireless industry as a whole has been gearing up for change the past 12 months. In our industry, we have been preparing for the next big connectivity bump – 5G.  The Transit Wireless network was designed to be future-proof, and our goal is to be ready to roll out the wireless carriers’ 5G applications.  To-the-edge is moving closer and closer towards that edge. Building out the connectivity requires investments from both the carriers and the landlords expecting the coverage, especially in new buildings. We’re also all interested in seeing the results of the Sprint and T-Mobile merger.

DCP-KX Q: What do you predict will be the long-term impact of emerging technologies and trends implemented in the coming 12 months

TW-TW A: 5G will bring networks closer to the edge while the supported 4G services will continue to need coverage.  It’s going to be an interesting balance – 5G is going to bring more devices and services to the market, so connectivity readiness and device support have been some of our focuses.

DCP-KX Q:  What is the most exciting technology or solution that you are seeing in the market?

TW-TW A: We’re excited for CBRS!  The unlicensed spectrum will have all the benefits of an individual carrier spectrum, where each carrier retains control of their services, while also supporting multiple carriers on a shared network.

DCP-KX Q:  The NEDAS 2018 NYC Summit addressed interesting solutions at the edge where wireline and wireless meet – how does the push to the edge impact your business?

TW-TW A: Everything wireless eventually needs to be wired somewhere, and this is what Transit Wireless in NYC specializes in delivering.  Our 160+ mile footprint following the NYC subway system is dense and often nearer to the edge than any other network.  We’re proud of our reach and plan to further expand.  Our goal as a business is to keep everyone in New York connected, everywhere.

DCP-KX Q:  What are your company’s key differentiators?

TW-TW A: Transit Wireless is a New York company with a New York-based workforce.  We not only serve customers in the region, but we’re our own customers’ end-users.  We ride the subways, we use mobile devices and we are members of the community.  This makes us deeply invested in the work we do for our customers and encourages us to constantly look for opportunities to improve.

DCP-KX Q: What excites you about the future of the telecom industry in regards to wireless and wireline technologies and trends?

TW-TW A: We’re really excited to see what applications and use cases will develop from the advent of 5G. It has the potential to be a game changer for so many industries.  Like the advent of TV and computers, 5G could drastically alter how we experience gaming, education, sports, healthcare, transportation, and freight. For example, with autonomous cars and ubiquitous 5G in transport, we could all spend our commutes attending lectures or concerts from across the world.

DCP-KX: Thanks for chatting with us, Eric. To learn more about Transit Wireless, visit www.transitwireless.com.