Viera, Fla.-based antenna designer and manufacturer SkyCross has announced the worldwide launch of its proprietary iMAT antenna solutions in LTE frequencies. 

The iMAT antenna gears up 4G networks for the increasing performance expectations of the industry by enhancing their capacity, data rates and reliability.

 

LTE is supported by mobile devices with multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO). However devices such as USB dongles, handsets and netbooks that support MIMO face several implementation challenges such as space constraints and interference issues.

 

SkyCross iMAT antennas come to the rescue. They allow a single antenna element to behave like multiple optimized antennas. This not only simplifies integration but also allows for more compact designs. All this, in turn, improves the throughput rates of the network.

 

“The primary device challenge for 4G, whether it’s WiMAX or LTE, is properly implementing MIMO,” said Joe Gifford, Vice President at SkyCross. “Not coincidentally, this is precisely what iMAT solves. SkyCross is leveraging is WiMAX leadership position and the common spectrum features of LTE to now deliver end-to-end antenna solutions for any 4G client device. iMAT provides a seamless and flexible path to LTE with a high degree of spectral efficiency for the service provider.”

 

SkyCross has already demonstrated the benefits of its antennas at 2.5-2.7 GHz, which will be the most popular LTE frequency band outside of the United States. A test conducted in Hillsborough, Ore., showed that iMAT antennas offer data rates that are 2.5 times faster than the conventional two-antenna approach.

 

LTE is expected to reach 100 million subscribers by 2014. Many network operators are already testing LTE. SkyCross is all geared up to cater to this demand of LTE. Earlier this year, MobilityTechzone reported that SkyCross has developed iMAT Antennas that Reduce Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of Wireless Devices.