Attavik A/S

The Attavik communication technology offer affordable digital communication in poor coverage areas and is independent to any external infrastructure since the technology uses unlicensed spectrum.
Attavik is a US patented solution that creates mesh-clouds of communication. It can be attached to the internet and thus provide internet access to mobile phone users through the Attavik Range Extender (RED).
Attavik RED perform GPS location sharing, allow users of the Attavik App to text and make two-way voice call even in areas with no mobile coverage or internet access.

Proof of Concept
Attavik have a Proof of concept of building mesh-clouds in the TV Whitespace spectrum using a Range Extender Device (RED) using a Software Defined Radio (SDR) and an App providing text and voice calls in areas without mobile coverage or internet access.
If one RED has internet access that connection can be shared across the mesh-cloud.

Supported and funded by Greenland Venture and received a so-called “Innobooster” from the Danish Innovation fund.

There are close to 4 billion unconnected users in the world (TAM), in Europe alone 3 % of all households are without adequate mobile coverage or internet connections and the US have 25-30 million inhabitants with no coverage.

When hiking, people often reach areas with no mobile coverage and cannot call friends they can see when out of earshot even if both are carrying a smartphone.

All in all we see an obtainable market of 600 000 customers in the Outdoor Activity segment, 800 000 customers amongst rural population in developing countries, 100 000 rural farmers and 225 000 rural households in Europe.

Connecting the unconnected in urban areas are mainly budgetary, but in rural areas it is as much the population density, and the specific features of the terrain in some cases, that makes it difficult for traditional technologies to provide the rural world with connectivity at a reasonable cost.

Attavik provide technology to create mesh-clouds of communication in rural areas at a fraction of the cost of traditional technologies and can bring control back in the hands of local communities.

Rural population have a need for digital communication in their homes for health communications and news if not simply to work which is not met today, especially in developing countries, but even Western Europe and the US have some 3-5 % of rural population without connectivity.

Using a smartphone with the Attavik App using peer-to-peer technologies and Attavik’s unique Range Extender Device (RED) customers can create local mesh-clouds of communications, where they can call and text directly between users.

Or if one RED, or more, have access to the internet, it can act as a gateway and share that access throughout the mesh-cloud.

Competition depends on the segments, in the leisure segments we mainly see competitors providing texting and location sharing, none provide the full suite with location, text, voice calls and sharing internet access.

In rural markets we will not compete with mobile operators but extend their networks beyond their last tower reaching new customers at a lower cost.

Satellite services need expensive terminals and in a dialogue with one of the entrants we have found that they mainly provide backhaul but rely on partners like Attavik to spread communication at ground level,

Finally, please note according to several industry experts 5G is not going to solve rural America’s connectivity problems.

Attavik provide a combination of an smartphone app and a hardware Range Extender Device providing full-duplex voice services and internet gateways.
These are not seen in portable devices we consider our competitors.

Also we use license exempt frequency spectrum below 1 GHz to provide 6+ km ranges between devices and does not rely on expensive central servers for basic communication.

Amongst operators we will extend their networks at a low costs where operators can only reach at high per subscriber costs.

Revenues will originate from hardware sales and communication services as pay-as-you-go.

Cost will be come from maintaining the app, building and distribution of RED's, interconnections of internet and communication service as well as operations from device, subscriber and user management.

Sale of hardware with app as freemium, but subscriptions and pay-as-you-go for over-the-top services like access to the internet.
Channels dependent on segment, but operators and public-sector for rural connectivity and distributors like Amazon, Decathlon and REI etc. for leisure markets.

Product development, moving from PoC Range Extender Device to market launch and taking tha app from iPhone-only PoC to cross-platform launch in app-stores.
Marketing and business development to reach target markets.

To be negotiated

Technologically there is a risk in developing a radio in the emerging TVWS spectrum, but the potential gains outweighs this.
Governments are subsidizing digital communication for rural areas with fibre or 4/5G, but even in developed economies parts remain unconnected.
There is a perceived risk from 5G, which is not a competitor as it will not solve conencntitivy issues in rural areas not covered today by 4G. Satellite operators could become competitors but as one such entrant told Attavik at the MWC they will look for partners to distribute communication on the ground just like Attavik.

Participated in accelerator program at "Accelerace.io", an award winning accelerator program in Denmark.

Awarded EU Horizon H2020 "Seal of Excellence" 2019 and again 2020 for the EIC Accelerator program.

Awarded funding for Horizon 2020 SME Instruments phase 1.

Nominated and finalist at:
Nordic Startup Awards, Copenhagen (2019)
- category Best Hardware Startup

Global Telecoms Awards, London (2017)
- category "Connecting the Unconnected"

Awarded:
“The Golden Globe Tiger Award”, Kuala Lumpur (2016)
- Best Innovation Award
- Best Innovative ICT Solution Award
“The Asia Telecom Excellence Award”, Singapore (2016)
- Best Innovative Telecom Project
- Best Community Telecom Project
- Best Telecom Brand of The Year

US Patent # 8,625,453

US Patent for Ad-hoc network and a method for configuring the ad-hoc network and a mobile repeater telephone for use in the ad-hoc network and use of the mobile repeater telephone Patent