Start-Up Wins $14 Million GPS Wireless Cellphone Contract

UK-based antenna manufacturer, Sarantel, has won an $14 million contract for its PowerHelix(TM) GPS (Global Positioning System) antennas for use in cellular handsets.
The helical devices will be incorporated into a cellphone handset product, providing a positioning capability which will meet the United States' emergency call E911 mandate and be ideal for the growing location-based services market.

The antennas will be manufactured on Sarantel's fully automated assembly line in Wellingborough UK, and shipments will be made over an 18 month period commencing in January 2003. The intended cellular handset cannot be disclosed at this stage.
When used for emergency E911 calls, the handset will automatically transmit the position of the caller to the operator with an accuracy of better than 150 metres, thereby simplifying and speeding up the task of the emergency services. The handset will also gain a location-based services capability, meaning for example that the user can find information about the nearest restaurant or service station.

The PowerHelix antenna will operate successfully in the handset's challenging and noisy environment, but it also offers other benefits over the patch antennas traditionally used in GPS handheld products. In particular it can operate alongside the handset's own antenna without interference, and the high beam width enables more of the GPS satellites to be seen at any one time, meaning greater accuracy and positioning reliability. In addition, being a balanced antenna means that the weak signals from the satellites are not de-tuned when the handset is close to human tissue such as the hand or head.

Barrie Foley, CEO of Sarantel, commented, "This major contract more than vindicates our strategy of heavily targeting the GPS hand-held sector which is growing very rapidly, especially as a result of the US E911 mandate and the proliferation of location-based services. Our PowerHelix antenna has beaten other technologies in what is a very competitive area and we are seeing strong demand for the antenna, particularly in the USA and Asia."

Matt Taylor of VCF Partners representing Sarantel's lead investors, commented, "We are convinced that Sarantel's PowerHelix technology offers many benefits over old-technology antennas and this excellent contract strengthens our belief. Sarantel's technology can make GPS work better in mobile phones and PDAs, it can improve the performance of wireless LAN enabled PCs, and may solve some pressing problems for 3G phones. There's tremendous growth potential in these sectors, so Sarantel is definitely one to watch."