At RACOM, we have always believed that great technology starts with curious minds and the courage to solve real problems.

For more than 30 years, we have been designing and manufacturing communication systems that keep critical infrastructure running – water management, energy networks, industrial automation, public safety, and defence applications where reliability is essential and failure is not an option.

Behind every product is deep engineering expertise: RF design, FPGA development, embedded systems, cybersecurity, microwave technologies, mechanical precision, and software development. Everything is developed and manufactured in-house in Czechia, giving us full control over quality and innovation.

This high-tech foundation has naturally brought us close to the academic world. For many years, we have worked closely with leading Czech technical universities, especially Czech Technical University in Prague and Brno University of Technology, as well as other top institutions across the country.

We know that the next generation of engineers is not built after graduation – it starts much earlier.

That is why we created RACOM Academy.

RACOM Academy connects talented students with real engineering challenges. Instead of waiting until graduation to gain practical experience, students can start working now – on technologies that are deployed in the field and used around the world.

This is not an internship built around observation. It is direct involvement in meaningful projects.

Students work on real assignments with experienced mentors, contributing to communication systems used in critical infrastructure and advanced wireless technologies. Whether the focus is radio systems, microwave links, embedded development, cybersecurity, or signal processing, the goal is always the same: practical experience with real impact.

As Marek Bobula, Technical Director at RACOM, often says:

“Our goal has never been to create ordinary products, but to push technology further. Working with talented students helps us do exactly that.”

We designed RACOM Academy to make cooperation meaningful – for students and for mentors.

Participants gain flexibility to work remotely, from the office, or in a hybrid mode depending on their studies and project needs. Students visiting our headquarters can even stay in company accommodation, making collaboration easier and more comfortable.

Each student works with a dedicated mentor. We intentionally accept only as many students as we have mentors for, ensuring personal guidance instead of generic task assignment.

The Academy also helps students connect their diploma thesis or PhD research with real industrial applications. Instead of writing work that ends in a drawer, they can build something that solves real-world problems.

“What impressed me most was that RACOM is a Czech company with development and manufacturing based in Czechia. They offered me an attractive diploma thesis topic, and I have the freedom to manage my time between my studies, my thesis, and my work at RACOM. It gives me real flexibility while allowing me to work on something meaningful.”
Pavol, Masaryk University Faculty of Informatics

Many students join RACOM through their university projects and stay much longer.

Some start with a diploma thesis topic, others bring their own research ideas. Typical areas include advanced RF engineering, wideband frequency modulation, frequency synthesizer optimization, signal equalization, or solving residual frequency offset challenges in broadband systems.

But the Academy is not limited to predefined topics.

If a student has an ambitious idea worth developing, we want to hear it.

Because innovation rarely starts with a perfectly prepared assignment – it starts with curiosity.

Our cooperation with universities is not occasional; it is part of how we grow.

From student projects and diploma thesis to long-term research collaboration, partnerships with institutions like Czech Technical University in Prague and Brno University of Technology help us stay close to emerging talent and fresh technical perspectives.

A recent example is our colleague and PhD student Radim Zedka, a graduate of RACOM Academy, whose paper Unique Word Channel Estimation for Oversampled OTFS was accepted to the prestigious journal IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology. His research addresses a real-world challenge in modern wireless communication, where standard OTFS waveforms lose reliability under oversampling and pulse shaping. Radim’s UW-OTFS approach removes pilot-data interference, improves performance in high-mobility environments, increases spectral efficiency by up to 36%, and reduces out-of-band emissions for practical deployment. Developed in cooperation with Trinity College Dublin and Brno University of Technology, the paper is a strong example of how scientific research at RACOM moves directly from academic theory into robust engineering practice.

This relationship benefits both sides: universities stay connected to industrial practice, and we gain access to brilliant young engineers ready to challenge established thinking.

RACOM Academy gives this cooperation a clear structure and long-term vision.

Technology companies often talk about innovation. For us, innovation means investing in people who will shape the next generation of communication systems.

RACOM Academy is not just a recruitment programme. It is a commitment to technical excellence, knowledge sharing, and long-term development.

Because the best engineers are not found – they are built.

And the best time to start is while they are still sitting in a lecture hall.

Since 1991, we have been providing secure communications for the sectors modern society depends on: energy, water management, gas distribution, and ISP networks.

In 2026, we are extending this mission into a new domain – delivering advanced communication systems to those who protect us all. We bring into the defence industry the same qualities for which we are valued in critical infrastructure: 30 years of expertise, in-house development and manufacturing in Czechia, reliability, security, dedicated support…

Technical excellence has always been our hallmark, and our products consistently deliver more than is required for standard use. Even though we meet the strictest demands of critical infrastructure, we know there is room to go further. If we are to continue pushing the boundaries of our technology and advancing our capabilities and knowledge, we must measure ourselves against the highest standards – and those are set by the defence sector.

“Our goal has never been to make more products, but to make better products. The defence sector is an environment that naturally pushes us in that direction.” says Marek Bobula, RACOM Technical Director

Our devices operate reliably in more than 130 countries, placing us among the world’s leading communication technology providers. All development and manufacturing is carried out in-house in the Czech Republic, Europe.

Our team includes experts in RF engineering, FPGA design, duplexer and RF filter development, operating system engineering, and graphical user interface design.
We operate our own climate chambers and anechoic chamber, an SMT centre for PCB assembly, and a modern mechanical production facility including precision CNC machining.

This allows us to maintain complete control over every detail and to exceed what is considered standard in our industry.

Our first contact with the defence community emerged naturally. Specialists working in robotics and unmanned systems noticed our radio modems for their reliability and high performance.

In 2019, we participated in the Orpheus project at Brno University of Technology, where the RipEX2 ensured data transmission for a robotic vehicle designed for hazardous-area reconnaissance. It became clear, however, that a standard RipEX was not ideal for such missions – the size and weight posed limitations. This inspired the idea of developing a specialised radio module for mobile and unmanned applications.

Geopolitical developments and the war in Ukraine in 2024 accelerated our decision to enter the defence sector fully. We began active cooperation with system integrators and joined the defence community becoming members of the ULAR group, attending at IDET, participating in the government’s PRODEF programme, and joining missions to Ukraine and the USA. Our equipment was tested during the allied CWIX 25 exercise, and we are preparing for the Silent Swarm 2026 exercise in the United States.

The result of this journey is the launch of a new product line of embedded data radios. The first device in this line is WaSP – a compact, software-defined radio modem designed for demanding applications. It is primarily intended for data communication with unmanned systems (UAVs and UGVs), but it is equally suited for any application requiring reliable connectivity in harsh environments.

In WaSP, we have embedded what has always driven us – top-tier technical performance, precision, reliability, and a passion for innovation.

“Defence is a natural continuation of our story.  It is not a change of direction, but an expansion of our mission: to ensure communication where failure is not an option.” says Vít Koutenský, RACOM Executive Director

The year 2025 was an exceptionally successful one for RACOM. Our revenues increased by 30% year on year compared to 2024, with more than 85% of manufactured equipment exported to 60 countries worldwide. These results clearly reflect our long-term strategy, the technological quality of our solutions, and above all the excellent work of the entire RACOM team.

Our sincere thanks go to all employees who contributed to this achievement. Their expertise, commitment, and teamwork were key to the successful delivery of projects around the world. At the same time, 2025 once again confirmed RACOM’s position as a global leader in reliable communication technologies for mission-critical applications.

In recent years, many forecasts have predicted a decline in the radio modem market, with this technology expected to be largely replaced by cellular routers. For RACOM, however, the opposite proved true. The radio modem segment recorded its strongest growth in recent years, with sales exceeding 2024 figures by more than 50%.

Of the three product segments in which RACOM operates, the cellular router market is growing at the fastest pace, and it is also the most competitive. Despite our focus on a highly specialized segment serving mission-critical applications, we achieved year-on-year growth of nearly 20% in this area as well. A notable success was the deployment of M!DGE cellular routers for emergency services in Romania, where we secured a contract for more than 1,000 units.

The global microwave link market in which RACOM operates has been largely stagnating in recent years. This is mainly due to the modernization of mobile operators’ backbone networks for 5G, during which existing links are dismantled and subsequently reused for high-speed last-mile connections, as well as the continued expansion of fiber-optic networks. Despite these factors, we achieved growth of approximately 5% in the microwave link segment.

In January, our sales team traditionally met with company management to review the results of 2025 and discuss the outlook for 2026. These discussions confirmed that the outlook for 2026 is optimistic, with expectations of achieving results comparable to those of 2025.

Thanks to the strong team we have at RACOM, we look forward to delivering many more exciting projects in the year ahead.

Official part

We managed to go for a run

…and even ice swimming

and attend a hockey game

As in previous year, we gathered once again at Medlov to celebrate the end of the year together at our Christmas party. This time, however, we traveled back in time – the evening was inspired by the spirit of the 1930s, full of elegance, style, and a refined atmosphere.

Stylish costumes, period decorations, and a great atmosphere created the perfect setting for a pleasant get-together, shared experiences, and moments beyond the working environment. The party was not only a celebration of a very successful past year, but also an opportunity to thank all colleagues for their cooperation, dedication, and team spirit.

The entire evening once again confirmed that RACOM is not only about technology, but above all about people who form one team and truly know how to enjoy time together.

You can relive the atmosphere of the party in the photo gallery, which captures the best moments of the evening. You really should take a look!

With the implementation of ACM (Adaptive Coding and Modulation), RipEX reinforces its position as the technological leader in radio modem performance. This innovation brings together maximum speed, reliability, and fully automatic operation, taking RipEX network performance to an entirely new level.

ACM continuously monitors radio link quality and dynamically adjusts modulation and coding in real time. When the signal is strong, the system automatically switches to a higher modulation (e.g., 64QAM or 256QAM) to maximize data rate and network throughput. If conditions worsen, ACM instantly reduces the modulation level to maintain link stability and reliability.

ACM fully automates the configuration of the radio channel. Users no longer need to decide which modulation to use — RipEX adapts automatically. This greatly simplifies installation and network management, especially in environments where conditions can change due to weather, interference, or distance. Thanks to ACM, RipEX automatically achieves the highest possible throughput under all conditions, proven by both laboratory tests and real-world installations.

RipEX can use ACM in all network types – point-to-multipoint as well as point-to-point. However, the greatest benefit appears in P-t-P full-duplex links, where speed is crucial. RipEX reacts instantly to signal changes in both directions independently and always selects the optimal modulation and FEC combination. This maximizes bidirectional throughput and ensures that communication remains fast, stable, and uninterrupted even under varying conditions.

With the upgrade to FW 2.2.6.0 and ACM activation, link reliability will further improve in existing installations in New Zealand and Brazil. Both projects demonstrate that RipEX delivers reliable, high-performance data and voice transmission over long radio links, even where signal quality fluctuates.

Key Advantages of ACM in RipEX

• Maximum speed and throughput in every situation
• Reliable operation even under fluctuating conditions
• Automatic optimization with no manual tuning
• Simplified installation and maintenance

ACM turns RipEX into a self-optimizing radio system that constantly adapts to real-world conditions.
Its behavior resembles a living organism – it observes, reacts, learns, and maintains the network in perfect balance.

ACM takes RipEX even further, ensuring it always operates at the edge of its capabilities: fast, stable, and without the need for technician intervention.

RACOM has been awarded the title of Company of the Year 2025 in the Vysočina Region. The jury particularly appreciated our long-term stability, engineering precision, and our ability to bring cutting-edge technology from a small Czech town to global markets.

“We do business because we believe that our work has a higher purpose. We want to be useful and contribute to a better world through the technologies we develop and manufacture ourselves. We want to show that even from a small town in Vysočina, we can create world-class technology. It makes sense for us to create job opportunities for talented people from the region and to be a good, trustworthy employer,” said Vít Koutenský, Executive Director, when accepting the award.

We see the Company of the Year title primarily as a recognition of everyone who works at RACOM — colleagues whose effort, expertise, and professionalism drive our company forward every day.

Our story began in 1989, and we have been dedicated to wireless communication since 1991. Today, our products operate in more than 130 countries worldwide. Designed and manufactured in our own facilities in Czechia, RACOM devices combine original research, precision engineering, and deep practical know-how — ensuring reliable operation of networks in critical infrastructure sectors.

We remain deeply connected to the region we come from and are proud that right here in Vysočina, we develop technology that makes the world safer and keeps essential services running — from flowing water and reliable electricity to stable internet connections.

Winning the regional round of the Company of the Year competition means advancing to the national finals on December 11 in Prague.

Regardless of the national results, this success already belongs to everyone who is part of RACOM.

Thank you to all our colleagues, partners, and friends for being part of our journey.

Update – December 11, 2025

We are honored to announce that RACOM has also succeeded at the national level in the Company of the Year 2025 competition. We achieved an overall second place in the Czech Republic, confirming our strong position not only regionally, but also nationwide.

The gala evening held at Žofín Palace in Prague, during which the awards ceremony took place, was broadcast by Czech Television. A recording of the broadcast is available on iVysílání here. RACOM was represented at the ceremony by Executive Director Vít Koutenský.

His appearances in the broadcast recording can be viewed at:

• 59:57 – introduction of RACOM,
• 1:05:20 – interview upon advancing to the superfinal,
• 1:09:45 – award presentation and Vít Koutenský’s acceptance speech.

This award is yet another confirmation of RACOM’s long-term quality, innovation, and strong position in both the Czech and international markets.

The story of the MR series radio modems is a great example of the lasting value, reliability, and long-term commitment RACOM provides to its customers. Introduced in 2005, their production will be discontinued on September 30, 2025, after twenty years on the market. Warranty and service for units already delivered, however, will of course continue.

RACOM products have always represented state-of-the-art technology at the time of their launch, and the MR series was no exception. Many users still rely on them today, even though they lack modern features such as a web interface. In many networks, generations of engineers have come and gone, and younger staff often don’t even realize which devices are transmitting their data—simply because the modems have never required their attention or servicing.

RACOM always strives to meet customer needs, which is why we manufacture our products as long as they are required. Although MR-based networks are still running, after twenty years they are technologically outdated and no longer meet today’s security requirements. Since they are typically deployed in critical infrastructure where security demands are the highest, gradual modernization is essential. Most customers prefer to continue using secure private radio networks and reliable RACOM devices, and are therefore replacing their MR modems with the latest RipEX2.

RACOM highlighted the need for migration as early as 2021 in a dedicated webinar. In recent years, numerous networks especially in the water industry have been modernized. In many applications, private radio is combined with cellular connectivity, either through the mPCIe cellular module integrated in RipEX2 or via the standalone M!DGE cellular router, which runs compatible firmware and complements RipEX2 seamlessly.

RACOM will never let its customers down. We still repair our very first product, the R2CW transceiver for radio-amateurs introduced back in 1989. MR radio modems whether under or out of warranty will continue to be serviced as well. However, as component availability declines, a day may come when certain repairs are no longer possible. That is yet another reason not to postpone migration.

We deeply appreciate all customers who use our products. If you are still operating MR modems (or legacy equipment from other manufacturers) and decide to modernize your network with RipEX2, we are ready to offer special migration conditions, including technical support. Contact us at racom@racom.eu, we will gladly advise you and help prepare your migration plan.

From 1 August 2025, the European Union’s updated Radio Equipment Directive (RED) introduces mandatory cybersecurity requirements for internet connected devices sold in the EU. These rules – covering network protection, data security, and fraud prevention – are now essential for obtaining the CE mark.

At RACOM, we are proud to confirm that our entire product portfolio – RAy3 microwave links, M!DGE3 cellular routers, and RipEX2 radio routers – already meets these new requirements. Even better, this compliance is delivered to our customers through free, regular, incremental firmware upgrades, ensuring your deployed devices stay secure and up to date without extra cost or disruption.

The updated RED focuses on three areas, with the first one being the most relevant for our type of devices:

• Network protection (Art. 3.3 d) – Devices must not harm networks or misuse resources in ways that degrade service quality.
• Data and privacy safeguards (Art. 3.3 e) – Strong encryption, secure authentication, and privacy-by-design measures must protect personal data at every stage.
• Fraud prevention (Art. 3.3 f) – Features like cryptographic FW signing, and anti-tampering mechanisms must prevent device cloning or misuse.

To help manufacturers demonstrate compliance, the EU published the EN 18031 series of harmonized standards in January 2025, giving a clear framework for building security into wireless products from the ground up.

Our engineering teams have ensured that RAy, M!DGE, and RipEX devices meet – and in many areas exceed – RED’s cybersecurity requirements. Network integrity is protected through secure firmware, various traffic encryption technologies and in the case of RipEX2 radio interface through our unique automatic AES key rotation.

We also make security effortless for users. Our new first-login procedure – featured in the short video below – guides every new owner through creating a custom username and password. A built-in visual password strength meter helps ensure that passwords are not just unique, but strong enough to withstand real-world threats.

When you choose RACOM, you get more than just hardware. You gain:

• Full EU RED cybersecurity compliance across RAy, M!DGE, and RipEX
• Free, incremental firmware feature and security updates that keep devices secure over time and even expand their capabilities
• Future-proof technology ready for evolving regulations and security challenges
• User-friendly setup that reduces support calls and speeds onboarding
• Long-term reliability and trust from a company with decades of industrial networking expertise

Watch our quick video to see how easy it is to set up your RACOM device securely from the very first login. With real-time password strength feedback, you can be confident your connection is protected from day one.

If you’d like to know which RACOM solution is the best fit for your IoT, SCADA, or telecom project, get in touch with our team today. We’ll help you deploy connectivity that’s secure, reliable, and ready for the future.