MAC Ltd
Our team of world-class wireless experts have been delivering solutions to the global communications industry for over 30 years Multiple Access Communications Ltd
Our Scholarships
Placement Location
Southampton
Type of Placements Offered
• Summer placements only
Restrictions/Notes
(1) Students must be in the penultimate year of their degree; (2) Open only to British citizens (no dual nationals); (3) Candidates may be required to undergo security clearance
2023/24 Scholarships
At least one new scholarship
Who we are and what we do
At Multiple Access Communications Limited (MAC Ltd) we have been providing world class products and design services to the global mobile communications industry for over 30 years. We have built an outstanding reputation within the industry, which is a testament to the high quality and professionalism of our engineering team.
MAC Ltd was founded in 1986 by Professor Raymond Steele, one of the Founding Fathers of modern-day mobile communications, to tackle the engineering challenges of taking mobile communications from an expensive and luxury item, which was only accessible to business executives and professional users, to the smart phones that we see today that are accessible to everyone. He achieved this by handpicking, training and mentoring exceptional electronic engineers to build a world class team that were able to take on and solve the most difficult engineering problems. The current owners and senior leadership of MAC Ltd were part of this early team and we continue Professor Steele’s successful approach today.
Everything we do at MAC Ltd is focused on the radio interface between wireless devices. This has included developing improved modulation and radio access schemes, improving the ability of devices to cope with increasing interference, developing radio spectrum sharing approaches and providing products to test and validate radio communication systems. We have worked on every generation of mobile phone technology, from the early analogue devices to today’s 5G smart phones. We have also worked across many sectors including telecommunications, public safety, defence and security.
What you could be doing during your work placement
We are looking for scholars with an interest in and enthusiasm for wireless technology, signal processing and embedded systems. As a Scholar you will be engaged on a project focused on innovative wireless technologies. This could include FPGA design, modelling using MATLAB and Simulink, digital signal processing on software defined radios, waveform development and artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Meet one of our Scholars
Name: Eve
Sponsor: MAC
University: University of Cambridge
Degree Course: MEng Engineering
What appeals to you about Electronics?
Electronics is a growing industry with a diverse range of applications and many opportunities. This diversity is what appeals to and inspires me about electronics: In this era of technology, you can make a difference to the world, working on a wide range of projects over your career.
Why did you want a scholarship with MAC?
I applied and accepted the place at MAC for three reasons: the company works in communications, which fits well with my chosen subject area at university (information and electrical engineering), the proposed project was interesting and would help me develop a lot of useful skills, and finally MAC seemed like a lovely place to work.
The company has a lovely community feel and you are very well supported throughout your internship. I’m really happy that I accepted this opportunity.
What type work have you been involved with during your placement?
The work I was involved with at MAC was to create a flexible general purpose BCH decoder in VHDL. I was supported through learning the relevant information by my supervisor in my first week of work. To understand how to implement the decoder I used MATLAB to model the algorithm. This enabled me to compare the performance of my MATLAB decoder implementation to the built-in one. After this work I now feel competent using MATLAB for modelling, testing, statistical analysis and allowed tolerances. The main part of my work was then reimplementing the BCH decoder in VHDL, I was supported with this skill development by my colleagues. I enjoyed the internship thoroughly for both the work and the support the company gave me.
What are your interests outside of work?
Outside of engineering, I enjoy horse riding and dancing. I have danced a range of styles such as tap and ballet from the age of 5. I love being creative and have been sewing and crafting for many years. Since starting university, I have rowed as part of my college for the past 2 years.
Meet one of our Engineers
Name: Joshua
Job Title: Engineer
Why Engineering?
As I was choosing a career path, I wanted something where I could apply my strengths in mathematics. Engineering seemed to be the obvious choice and I chose electronics as I was fascinated by how communications systems run.
What it’s like to work for MAC Ltd
I studied Electronic Engineering (BEng) at the University of Leeds and after graduating in the middle of the COVID lockdown I was unsure how to start my career. A recruiter reached out and suggested MAC Ltd and it has been a pleasure working here for the last 3 years.
Working in a corporate environment can often mean repetitive work or only working on one specific part of a larger project. At MAC Ltd I find I have more exposure to a greater variety of problems where every project will be challenging in different ways. I have been given plenty of responsibility and room to be independent in my work, whilst having a close-knit team that is there to help and mentor as needed. Being able to see a project through from start to finish has been a priceless experience for me as it has helped me see how to take the idea all the way through to production.
A day in the life at MAC Ltd
Each day at MAC Ltd will be different depending on the project. One of the benefits of working at MAC Ltd is that we use a wide set of skills as experts in Software Defined Radio (SDR). MATLAB, Python, FPGA design and C++ are some of the skills you can expect to develop during your time here.