Alpha 56 began with equipment improvised to meet the needs of a special forces communicator in the field. The company was founded by Ben Simpson, its chief executive, after a career of around 20 years supporting a Special Forces squadron as a communicator.
The company’s origin story, as recounted by Ryan McCann, Business Development Manager, at DVD2026, is rooted in the practical demands of using tactical mapping and communications tools away from dependable internet access. Simpson used the Android Tactical Assault Kit, (ATAK), and needed a way to bring connectivity into the field. His early experiments combined mobile-network dongles, small antennas and SIM cards inside ruggedised containers, including, at least to start with, Tupperware tubs.
The work was hands-on research and development. Simpson built equipment himself, first in a garage, and went on to produce units for training teams. A turning point came during Operation Pitting, when demand grew for deployable equipment that could provide LTE connectivity. Simpson developed a product called the GTG, short for “Good to Go”: open the case, press a button and the router starts up.
The GTG is built around a router housed in a rugged case. The system can provide Wi-Fi for as many as 256 users, depending on the model and configuration. The product has gone through several iterations; its current model is the 980, a reference to the Cradlepoint router used inside. It can also use an external wide-area network connection, including Starlink, to provide a route for local network traffic.
The company points to a recent five-week deployment on the roof of Norfolk Police Headquarters as an example of the GTG’s resilience. The unit supported internet connectivity for radio-frequency detection and counter-drone work, running from mains power through difficult winter weather. According to the account, it also handled failover between its internet connection and Starlink during the deployment. Earlier versions, the company says, were used in Afghanistan during Operation Pittin.
Alpha 56 later extended the same ruggedised networking concept into its Mission Connect product. In addition to a router, Mission Connect includes computing capability, allowing selected applications to run at the edge and users to access radio systems through their configuration interfaces. The system is also designed to connect different MANET radio networks, enabling data to move between otherwise separate systems.
In the configuration described, a Mission Connect linked a Harris 920 radio with a Silvus 4200. With a router providing backhaul over LTE, Starlink or another connection, the system can pass data between locations. McCann described a demonstration involving units in Bilbrook and Hereford: one end was sending tactical mapping data, while the other was providing video. The aim is to let users exchange information across a wider network without relying on a single local radio link.
The demonstration also highlighted how radio networks can form in practice. Silvus equipment using the same default network settings can join a shared local mesh when brought into the same area. McCann said about eight radios had connected in this way during the activity. With the backhaul bridge in place, radios at Hereford could also participate in the network.
Alongside its networking products, Alpha 56 builds a case designed to hold up to 20 devices for data transfer and charging at the same time. The setup is intended to simplify a repetitive task: connect each device, leave it to transfer data and charge, then collect it once the process is complete.
The firm also resells equipment from other manufacturers, including Silvus radios, Invisio products and Samsung Tactical Edition devices. It describes itself as agnostic, while acknowledging that it recommends products it considers well suited to the user groups it supports. Its technical specialists and engineers test combinations in the field, including by taking equipment into the hills to check how systems work together.
That close relationship with users is also a source of custom development. Ryan said that they stay in contact with former colleagues and personnel involved in projects, trials and operations, who bring forward needs that may not be met by standard commercial products. Some requirements involve modest production runs, making them less attractive to larger suppliers. The company can draw on previous engineering work to combine commercial components, ruggedise them, add environmental protection or develop features such as smart or inductive charging.
The company’s development model combines commercial products with practical integration and bespoke engineering. The goal is to address specific operational needs that may be too specialised or low-volume for off-the-shelf solutions, while continuing to test equipment with the people expected to use it.
