Google buys 5G network startup Alpental Technologies

Firm swells ranks again with latest acquisition

Google has quietly picked up a 5G networking firm called Alpental Technologies, as it continues to swell its technological ranks with new capabilities and services.

The deal has not been announced officially, but Google has reportedly confirmed that Alpental has been welcomed into its fold.

"I can confirm that we're excited to welcome the Alpental team to Google, and that they joined a few weeks back, but we don't have any other details to share," a spokesperson said in a widely reported statement, such as on GeekWire.

The company is listed as a startup on its LinkedIn page and the LinkedIn profile of co-founder and CEO Pete Gelbman gives some more insight into the sort of work the company was doing before it was purchased.

"Startup developing a new self-organising, ultra low-power Gigabit wireless technology to extend fibre optics. Hyper-scalable MMWave networking solution for dense urban next-gen 5G and WiFi - at the form factor and cost of an iPod."

Gelbman also now lists Google as his employer on his LinkedIn profile. Fellow co-founder and CTO of Alpental Technologies Mike Hart also lists Google as his employer on the site. Both set a start date of May 2014, suggesting the deal was closed a while before it was made public. Hart's profile also listed that he used to work on 4G technologies as a system architect for UK Broadband.

The website for Alpental Technologies appears to have been taken down since the deal, with the URL now displaying a 404 error message.

The deal is no doubt designed to help Google boost its internet-delivery services as it pushes further into 2014. The firm is already working on fibre projects across the US and has plans further afield for its Project Loon hot air balloon internet services.