I expect that 2015 will be a banner year for technologies designed to enhance the video-streaming experience. With existing players continuing to push their on-demand services and new entrants, such as Overstock coming to market, the landscape is becoming more competitive. As a result, consumers are going to expect more from their service providers. Videos that tile, or full-feature films or television shows that take more than just a couple of minutes to download, are going to become deal breakers for some consumers. New technologies designed to speed up video streaming are going to play an important role for original equipment manufacturers marketing their Wi-Fi access points and set-top boxes, for example, to this space.
In addition, newer active antenna and radio-frequency system technologies will provide benefits beyond the viewing experience. We predict that these newer, innovative RF antenna system technologies will also impact cable and satellite service providers’ business models from both capital expense and operating expense standpoints. As these Wi-Fi access points, set-top boxes and other products are equipped with smarter, more intuitive technologies, service providers are going to be able to curb some of the costs associated with installations and service calls. Consumers will be able to install products on their own, with ubiquitous coverage regardless of the box’s orientation or location.
Active antenna systems and RF technologies continue to gain traction in the “4G” space given the growing spectrum crunch and continued increase in wireless penetration. From machine-to-machine and “Internet of Things” devices to smartphones, tablets and other wireless products, devices are going to need to be equipped with technologies that allow them to work smarter in order to achieve ubiquitous coverage. We can expect to see devices equipped with advanced antenna system structures, active components, such as tunable capacitors and/or switches, and more complex algorithms, allowing these devices to perform tasks such as “beam steering” from within the device to find the best RF link for increased data throughput.
We will also see increased pressure on OEMs by wireless operators, to ensure the devices being designed to operate on their networks are equipped with active antenna and RF systems that can automatically provide optimal connectivity, offset head and hand effects, cover wider frequency ranges, and help preserve their network efficiency and capacity. Vendors who are able to provide these capabilities to OEMs for their devices will gain a competitive edge over those who continue to stick with the status quo.
New market opportunities for integrated antenna system solutions – antenna structures, RF chips and algorithms – will be offered as an optimized system solution to OEMs. In addition to alleviating the burden on traditional wireless OEMs to source individual components from different vendors, integrate them and try to make it all work, these systems solutions will also appeal to IoT and M2M product designers – many of whom have little to no RF experience.
Altogether, I predict that 2015 is going to be another big year for the wireless industry, which continues to expand its reach every year. Regardless of the application – streaming a favorite show via a 5 GHz set-top box, keeping tabs on one’s health via a wearable, or simply placing a voice call via a smartphone – the antenna is the only RF sensor in a wireless device, and those of us working to make that heartbeat stronger will have an exciting year in 2015, and beyond.
Editor’s Note: With 2015 now upon us, RCR Wireless News has gathered predictions from leading industry analysts and executives on what they expect to see in the new year.
