{"id":3000023271,"date":"2020-11-10T11:27:36","date_gmt":"2020-11-10T16:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?p=3000023271"},"modified":"2020-11-11T16:05:04","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T21:05:04","slug":"a-telecom-firm-grows-from-supplying-300-to-30000-devices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/workspace-solutions\/case-studies\/a-telecom-firm-grows-from-supplying-300-to-30000-devices","title":{"rendered":"A telecom firm grows from supplying 300 to 30,000 devices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Apex Wireless<\/a>, an Austin, Texas<\/a>\u2013based telecom consulting firm, enjoyed steady business providing complete telecom services to both small and enterprise businesses and government accounts. In February and early March this year, William Brunton, the president of Apex Wireless, had no idea that his company was about to smash previous sales records beyond his wildest imagination. Along the way, Apex found an indispensable ally in WeWork and a unique opportunity to help hundreds of at-risk Central Texas students get the tools they needed to succeed in school.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The floodgates open for Apex<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before the pandemic, Apex Wireless had partnered with local school districts and other organizations to provide Wi-Fi hotspots to Texans in need. As of April this year, these projects were in various stages and largely dependent on grant funding. \u201cThat was our challenge before [the pandemic],\u201d Brunton says. \u201cSometimes the schools would qualify for grants, sometimes they wouldn\u2019t.\u201d Sometimes, he says, the grant money would be gone before a project could start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But then March arrived, and with it, shutdowns. As Central Texas began working and learning virtually, widespread internet access became a major civic priority. Suddenly, grants came pouring in, and funding got approved. \u201cWhen COVID happened, everyone kind of got an, \u2018OK, let\u2019s move,\u2019 \u201d says Brunton\u2014and they had to move fast. \u201cLiterally, overnight, our focus and our business structure had changed in a massive, massive way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n