December 5th 2024, York. Cellhire, a global specialist in IoT and mobile communications, won “Best Tech Innovation in Live Production” at the Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards 2024. The award recognised Cellhire’s “Count Cam” out-of-the-box kit-based solution, which enabled the BBC to broadcast real-time and seamlessly from 369 vote-counting locations during the 2024 UK General Election.

The Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards celebrate the exceptional teams behind the most outstanding broadcast productions of the past year.

Tony Guerion, Cellhire’s CEO comments, “The award is a testament to our team’s commitment to innovation and delivering solutions that meet customers’ needs.  During the general election, our Count Cam offering demonstrated Cellhire’s IoT connectivity capabilities for delivering reliable, scalable services for critically important live broadcasts.” 

Cellhire UK Managing Director Matt Bennett, left, and Cellhire Group Marketing Manager Anthony Pulsford, with the Best Tech Innovation in Live Production Award

Count Cam

The Count Cam kits featured adapted iPhones with extended battery packs and tripods. However, the stand-out element was Cellhire’s multi-network IoT SIMs, which enabled connectivity to all UK mobile networks via a single SIM ensuring uninterrupted streaming from all locations, including remote counts. Designed for ease of use, the kits included pre-installed apps and simple functionality for quick deployment and smooth operation by crews.

“With the BBC we set a new standard for live election coverage by providing a new level of transparency not seen previously thanks to our solution,” adds Guerion. “The award highlights how technology can enhance transparency and accessibility during general elections, where uninterrupted broadcasting is paramount.”

Multiple IoT Awards

This is Cellhire’s second major award win in 2024, following recognition as the Best Wireless Connectivity Provider at the 2024 Comms Business Awards. That award acknowledged Cellhire’s wide-ranging IoT connectivity solutions for industries including security, broadcast, events and marine over the past year.

“Cellhire’s IoT connectivity is now used across a growing range of industries and applications,” Guerion says. “Customers and partners rely on us to deliver reliable, scalable solutions for demanding applications where there is no margin for error.”

The full case study can be read at www.cellhire.co.uk/iot-connectivity/case-studies/election-counts

About Cellhire

Cellhire is a leading global telecoms provider of mobile communications, M2M/IoT services and data connectivity to enterprise clients and indirect partners worldwide.

Established in 1987, the group serves EMEA, Americas and APAC with offices in the UK, USA, France, Germany and Japan. Partnering with mobile network operators globally, Cellhire provides access to mobile connectivity at market-leading commercials to companies worldwide.

The company is committed to delivering the highest standards of customer service which is underlined by its continued attainment of ISO 9001, the internationally recognised quality standard. Cellhire has worked with Investors in People (IIP) since 2004 and holds the ‘We Invest In People’ Gold standard. Additionally, the company won the highly coveted Queen’s Award for International Enterprise, as a result of its success as a specialist in the delivery of global mobile communication solutions.

Cellhire is a member of the GSMA – a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change.

Cellhire was a pivotal supplier to the NHS during the COVID19 pandemic. Working in partnership with UK network operator O2, Cellhire delivered critical mobile connectivity for vaccination centres across the United Kingdom to ensure that healthcare professionals and their devices remained connected to allow them to effectively deliver the vaccination programme.

Cellhire has established itself as a market-leading connectivity provider for global events providing a range of voice, data and device solutions at landmark events including the Olympic Games, the FIFA Men’s and Women’s World Cup and the Rugby World Cup. Cellhire will be a leading provider of connectivity for the upcoming 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris this summer.

Since 2019, Cellhire has attained ISO 27001, the internationally recognised Information Security Management System Standard (ISMS).

Cellhire recently secured a significant investment from mid-market private equity house LDC for a minority stake, to accelerate its substantial growth plans.

More at www.cellhire.co.uk