HICKORY, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 14, 2019-- CommScope, a global leader in infrastructure solutions for communications networks, named its second annual Lifetime Achievement Award winners for innovation. Honored were Thomas Kummetz, PhD, vice president, Research and Development for CommScope’s Mobility Solutions, and the “Optical Fiber Assembly” patent, invented by Erik Peeters, Engineer II, Research and Development, Product Development for CommScope’s Connectivity Solutions.

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CommScope named its second annual Lifetime Achievement Award winners for innovation. From left to right, honored were Thomas Kummetz, PhD, vice president, Research and Development for CommScope’s Mobility Solutions, and the “Optical Fiber Assembly” patent, invented by Erik Peeters, Engineer II, Research and Development, Product Development for CommScope’s Connectivity Solutions. (Photo: Business Wire)

“CommScope is proud to recognize and celebrate Thomas’ and Erik’s accomplishments,” said Morgan Kurk, executive vice president and chief operating officer, CommScope. “Their innovations have contributed to our success and advanced the industries we serve. On behalf of everyone at the company, I congratulate Thomas and Erik for their significant technical contributions and for inspiring others.”

The awards were announced and presented on March 7 during CommScope’s 2019 Innovators in Action Summit in Charlotte, N.C. The annual event also included recognition of more than 70 global team members from 42 award-winning engineering and technology projects from 2018 that demonstrate the company’s best agility, breakthrough, cost reduction, and customer impact innovations.

The 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award—Innovator was presented to Kummetz. This award recognizes individuals who are distinguished by the depth and consistency of their technical contributions throughout their careers at CommScope.

Based in Buchdorf, Germany, and with more than 30 years of experience working in the telecommunications industry, including five years of research in opto-electronics, Kummetz has spent almost 25 years with CommScope. With 189 patents in 34 patent families to his name, Kummetz’s most notable accomplishments include the four patents out of six held by CommScope that are essential for a digital distributed antenna system (DAS). His patent for distributed power over DAS is recognized widely as one of the high value patents in the industry.

“I’m proud of the culture of innovation developed within the Distributed Coverage and Capacity Solutions team in the United States, Germany and Italy,” Kummetz said. “We are driving collaborative innovation at a very high level. I’m honored to receive this tremendous achievement and excited to continue making an impact in the industries we serve.”

U.S. Patent Number 6,504,986: “Optical Fiber Assembly” received the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award—Patent. This award is presented in recognition of the patent that has significant commercial impact for CommScope based on its overall financial and strategic contribution to the company. Peeters accepted the award for this patent granted in January 2003.

The patent’s Fiber Infrastructure System Technology (FIST) was one of TE Connectivity Broadband Network Solutions’ (BNS) foundational platforms on which it built its fiber business for nearly two decades. With CommScope’s acquisition of BNS in 2015, it included this important technology and its optical fiber assembly patent for a 50 percent increased density of connections on FIST patch panels shelves, from 8 to 12 connections per shelf. Patented in 33 countries, this idea of turning the adapter and providing openings in the shelves has been beneficial to customers though the increased density it brings.

“This patent exhibits a great proof point on how a simple, yet smart solution can deliver great value to both our customers and the industries we serve,” Peeters said, who is based in CommScope’s Kessel-Lo, Belgium, facility. “I’m honored this program recognized me, along with my fellow colleagues, for our innovations and dedication to our craft.”

About CommScope:

CommScope (NASDAQ: COMM) helps design, build and manage wired and wireless networks around the world. As a communications infrastructure leader, we shape the always-on networks of tomorrow. For more than 40 years, our global team of greater than 20,000 employees, innovators and technologists have empowered customers in all regions of the world to anticipate what’s next and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Discover more at www.commscope.com.

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This press release includes forward-looking statements that are based on information currently available to management, management’s beliefs, as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results to differ materially from those currently expected. In providing forward-looking statements, the company does not intend, and is not undertaking any obligation or duty, to update these statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Source: CommScope

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190314005122/en/

Source: CommScope

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