Three years after moving into a brand new building in Trois-Rivières, Solutions Ambra is now cramped with its 90 employees. The SME must use trailers while waiting for the construction of new facilities. A great problem for the company specializing in the design and deployment of private LTE/5G networks.
In 2020, Éric L’Heureux, president of Solutions Ambra, wanted to export his technology to other countries and expand it to different sectors of activity. Projects that have become reality. “Since 2020, our activities have exploded,” says the businessman.
For good reason, Solutions Ambra technology has many advantages since it allows companies to connect different equipment as well as personnel over enormous distances, and in very harsh environments. “We talk as much about doing remote operations like driving a truck as we do about getting data on the air, the status of a vehicle or being able to contact someone on the surface with a cell phone in the case of underground mines. Even if it is possible, it is however not designed to go on the Internet and it is better this way since it strengthens IT security”, illustrates Éric L’Heureux.
Ambra Solutions therefore offers its customers a service that includes the design and deployment of the LTE/5G network. “Over the years, our research and development department has designed nearly twenty products to meet the needs of manufacturers. The future is already here, the technology exists and the amount of machines that can be operated remotely is incredible,” he says.
As a result, Ambra Solutions has gone from its first network implemented in 2017 to 50 projects concluded today, representing more than 800 kilometers of optical fiber buried and deployed in tunnels and connected to antennas that broadcast the LTE/5G signal.
The Ambra name is now present in seven countries, including Australia. A success which can be explained by the fact that the company is also a solution to the labor shortage that exists elsewhere. “Mining sites in Australia are remote and again it is difficult to recruit staff. Now it is entirely possible to see driverless trucks driving around in a controlled environment thanks to our know-how that enables teleoperation. »
Ambra Solutions began its activities targeting the mining sector, and although the latter is still very present, the company has expanded its client portfolio and has projects in the areas of hydropower, public safety and the of national defense. It has managed to break into some of these sectors, among others, thanks to a very particular innovation, Lyko. “We have democratized the nomadic LTE/5G network. Basically, we install the infrastructure on a platform. This allows our customer to be connected temporarily, while we meet their needs,” explains the entrepreneur.
And tomorrow ? The company does not intend to stop there and is now targeting the manufacturing sector, transport and agriculture, but in the longer term. To achieve his goals, Éric L’Heureux plans to acquire other companies and is eyeing countries like South Africa and Argentina. “We are experiencing sustained growth, but keeping in mind that the most important thing is our reputation. If you sell something, you have to be able to deliver it. So, we take one step at a time. »
