US : Smart and adaptive antenna technologies are entering a stage of full market acceptance, says new Report from WTRS. The use of smart antenna technology enables service providers to extend range, increase Quality of Service and make more effective use of channel and bandwidth capacity for nearly every wireless communications technology.

The technology will be one of the key underlying developments to enable software defined radio (SDR) deployment.

MIMO antenna adoption in the Wi-Fi marketplace reduces radio system complexity, cost and the restrictions on channel bandwidth.

"WiFi proliferation has lowered the cost of MIMO "smart antenna" technology, enabling OEMs to choose to implement MIMO in new wireless protocols," said Principal Analyst Kirsten West. "MIMO is becoming a critical component in the delivery of new products ranging from Wireless HDMI for video content delivery, to 802.16e WiMAX, to GSM and CDMA technologies designed for 4G
mobile broadband."

OEM participation will likely bifurcate into a handful of technology licensing companies that are medium-sized ventures coexisting with the typical pyramid of top three hardware OEMs who supply smart antenna chipsets. The report includes :

• Includes summaries of basic smart antenna architectures from switched beam arrays to MIMO.
• Offers definition of required technical characteristics for MIMO in mobile handsets implementing WiMAX.
• Uncovers the primary factors driving MIMO adoption in the Wi-Fi marketplace include reduction in radio system complexity, cost reductions, and the requirement for channel bandwidth reduction.
• Finds the overall attach rate of smart antenna technology in mobile WiMAX is forecast to reach more than 60% by 2008.
• Includes market Forecasts in 12 sectors including 3G, 4G, WiMAX, UWB, Sensor, 802.11a, and 802.11n applications.
• Finds that Smart Antenna technology will be one of the key underlying developments to enable software defined radio (SDR) integration.
• Uncovers Mobile WiMAX technical requirements which drive the choice of smart antenna technology.
• Identifies and classifies the primary suppliers of smart antenna components.

The "WTRS Smart Antenna Report 2007" is 58 pages and contains extensive analysis of the industry as well as global market adoption forecasts through 2010 segmented by application. This report is a valuable resource for those who are evaluating entry into the market sector. The results are based on discussions with executive management from major participants in the marketplace, as well as our proprietary macroeconomic research tools.

WTRS (West Technology Research Solutions) is a Silicon Valley-based research, publishing and consultancy company focused on emerging wireless technologies.