Smart antennas will (finally) pay off
8 September 2004
News
Smart antennas will be a major winner in providing new revenue waves for wireless companies in mature markets according to a new report released by West Technology Research Solutions. Wireless technology efficiency is now a necessity, not an 'add on.'
Smart antenna technology will extend the range and increase the efficiency of communications in many wireless communication technologies and protocols. Diminishing spectrum availability coupled with increased demand define the need for this evolving technology.
Having been around for decades, smart antennas have evolved along with the semiconductor innovation cycles, getting ever 'smarter'. For the past 10-plus years, and with the development of multiple antennas for transmission and reception known also as space-time communication, smart antenna technology has become a serious R&D arena. It is a branch of wireless communications that makes use of the 'space dimension' (ie, antennas) along with the traditional time dimension in modulation and coding at the transmitter, and demodulation and decoding at the receiver, in order to improve the performance of wireless links. Shipments in 2008 for 3G adoption alone is expected to reach 155 million units.
Hence smart antenna technology has become essential to the future of wireless communication and data transfer, the former because the spectrum is becoming increasingly more tightly populated, the latter because technological development has improved the transfer rate to an extent where efficiency is no longer just a choice but a principal requirement.
With increasing adoption of wireless services, the imminence of 3G (UMTS and CDMA2000), 4G already more than a concept, and with diminishing available spectrum, smart antenna technology is essential. Already in use in combination with cellphones, television and in industrial applications, smart antennas are no longer a choice, but a necessity for the industrialised world. It is clear, for example, that without smart antenna technology WiMAX and WLAN applications cannot utilise their full potential.
Smart antenna technology is moving directly into maturing markets that are ready and waiting to add supplementary options to existing products. It is a classic curve in industry, to be seized upon by those who recognise the signs of economic downturn and look for an opportunity for regeneration. As such, smart antenna technology offers a second revenue wave in a channel that is already an established presence in a matured segment, but which is experiencing declining margins.
www.westtechresearch.com
Further reading:
Rooibos heads to space
News
A South African scientific initiative linking agriculture and space research has officially launched today with the Rooibos in Space programme at Parklands College’s Innovation Centre in Cape Town.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Local can be international
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
Welcome to the July 2026 issue of
Dataweek. As you can see from this introduction,
Dataweek’s regular editor, Peter Howells, is on extended leave and I am filling the void in his editor’s column – hopefully without being too boring.
Read more...
Landis+Gyr EMEA introduces new company name: EYKON
News
EYKON is the new company name of Landis+Gyr EMEA, formerly part of the Landis+Gyr Group. The company supports electricity, gas, water and thermal utilities in managing increasingly complex networks, improving operational efficiency and enabling more sustainable use of resources.
Read more...
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services News
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX 2026, the Expo for Electronics Manufacturing, in Stuttgart from 6-8 October 2026, how advanced surface-mount automation helps companies grow their business and increase productivity.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: The art of measuring the truth
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
All electronic measurements are a lie. The trick is making the lie as small as possible.
Read more...
TSE has relocated
News
The Technology Station in Electronics (TSE) has entered a new chapter with its relocation from the CSIR campus to TUT-owned building at Ditsela Place in Hatfield.
Read more...
Innovative MyLegrand app
RS South Africa
News
Legrand SA is set to launch the MyLegrand mobile application, a digital platform designed to strengthen engagement across its professional network.
Read more...
Kulani Energy acquires critical assets from Optipower
News
Kulani Energy preserves engineering, procurement, and construction capability and positions a wholly women-owned firm at the forefront of South Africa’s grid expansion.
Read more...
From Cape Town to Johannesburg
News
Würth Elektronik South Africa has taken a significant step forward with its recent relocation from Cape Town to Johannesburg, marking a new phase of growth and ambition for the company.
Read more...
Lesley Havenga: Building partnerships for Africa’s electronics future
Editor's Choice News
As Würth Electronik expands its footprint across South Africa and the broader sub-Saharan region, Havenga’s blend of manufacturing expertise, supply chain knowledge, and people-centred leadership appears well suited to the task.
Read more...
printer friendly version