[IA technology expected in handsets in the next 12 months.]

New York -- The impending use of intelligent antennas for WiFi, cellular and broadband wireless platforms suggest the strong but small intelligent antenna industry is ready to take off, according to a new Visant Strategies study.

Over the next year the use of intelligent antenna technology in high-end cellular handsets and in WiFi product will provide two new launching pads for the industry, according to the study, "Intelligent Antennas: From MIMO to Beamforming and other Innovations."

"Phone vendors will ship CDMA EV-DO handsets that utilize IA technology in the next twelve months," said report author Andy Fuertes. "CDMA2000 carriers in South Korea, the U.S. and other high-end markets will use these handsets, making it the first widespread use of the technology in the mobile market since PHS." Over 3 million IA handsets are anticipated to ship through 2006, according to the study.

GSM operators in the developing world, the study finds, will apply IA technology selectively within base stations and even broader support for IA is expected from TD-SCDMA operators. Approximately 40,000 mobile base stations are expected to ship with IA capabilities in 2010 due to cellular wireless data demands, which, the study finds, will also drive demand for IA-enabled PTP microwave backhaul.

WiFi providers are shipping pre-802.11n product that features multiple-in multiple out capabilities and the study finds other IA technologies are expected to appear within WiFi gear during 2005. Standardized MIMO devices will follow within 18 months, according to the study, with the value of shipments of IA equipped WiFi devices exceeding $3 billion in 2010.

IA developments within the WiMAX segment continue briskly behind the scenes with IA-enabled base stations becoming a fixture within some WiMAX infrastructure for capacity and coverage reasons.

More...

Back to Headlines...