With assistance from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, antenna company Sofant Technologies has developed a new miniature smart antenna technology. The antenna is equipped with a steerable beam that locks onto the strongest signal available in a given area, instead of using the more traditional approach of seeking signals in all directions.
According to the CEO of Sofant Technologies, Sergio Tansini, developments in antenna design have not kept up with the rapid evolution of smart phone technology. He adds that new communication protocols are putting increased pressure on existing antenna technology, resulting in decreased performance from each new generation of smart phone and claims that the new antenna technology will transform the performance of smart phone and tablet PCs by extending battery life and reducing poor reception and number of dropped calls.
The company has already licensed an early technology demonstrator to a large original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and claims to have attracted interest from several other leading manufacturing companies.
