Wim Sweldens

Wim Sweldens is a Belgian American business leader notable for innovations in communications and signal processing technology. He developed algorithms for compressing three dimensional images into billions of tiny triangular modules. At telecommunications firm Alcatel-Lucent in New Jersey, he led development of new cell tower technology called lightRadio which reduces the size of transmission equipment dramatically. The equipment uses only basic electrical power and can be placed indoors and linked to optical fiber cables; it enables mobile networks to operate with much less electricity, halving CO2 emissions and reducing the carbon footprint, and permitting cell phone service to reach more people over expanded geographic areas. The technology may mean the end of cell towers within ten years, according to several reports.