Airbus DS Communications remains for sale after more than two years
“I have no update on the sale of the company,” Airbus DS Communications CEO Bob Freinberg said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications.
LMR and 911 solutions provider Airbus DS Communications remains on the selling block more than two years after its international parent firm—Airbus Group—announced plans to divest itself of Airbus DS Communications and other global public-safety-communications assets in the fall of 2014, according to a company official.
“I have no update on the sale of the company,” Airbus DS Communications CEO Bob Freinberg said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications.
Freinberg did confirm that plans continue to call for the sale of Airbus DS Communications—a North American unit—to be executed in a transaction that would include all international public-safety-communications entities within Airbus Group.
In 2014, Airbus Group decided to focus on core aircraft-related businesses. In September 2014, the Airbus Defense and Space unit adopted a “portfolio optimization” plan that identified its core businesses as those associated with space launchers and satellites, military aircraft, missiles and related systems. Airbus DS Communications and other public-safety-communications entities within Airbus Defense and Space were deemed to be non-core businesses that would be sold.
Although the initial plan was to identify a buyer for all Airbus DS Communication and the other public-safety-communications businesses by the end of 2014 and complete a deal in mid-2015, that has not occurred.
Recognized as an award-winning company, Airbus DS Communications continues its operations and product-development activities. The company has announced numerous contract wins in the 911 sector, where public-safety answering points (PSAPs) are implementing text-to-911 service and preparing to transition to next-generation 911 (NG911) technology.