Jasco’s Webb Industries’ new VLP (Very Low Profile) range of antennas could play an important role in the future of the Iridium Low Earth Orbit satellite system especially with regards to machine-to-machine applications. This is the opinion of Michael Kenny, MD of Webb’s European partner Multiband Technologies.

The new VLP multi-purpose antennas have several advantages for application developers working with L-band satellite. Specifically for Iridium developers the basic VLP antenna design is wide-band enough to cover GPS, Glonass and Iridium.  “Couple this with the fact that the antenna is only 3.2mm thick and 8cm diameter, and Webb’s keen innovative edge is clearly illustrated. Also, by extending the footprint of the board, Webb is able to include 2.4GHz, wide band Cellular & 900MHz ISM in the 3.2mm thick format,” says Kenny.

The flat VLP antenna can also be supplied painted any colour and therefore be more easily disguised for covert & external installations; the low profile means less protrusion and therefore less chance of damage or vandalism when installed on bigger mobile and static machines like earth-moving equipment, cranes, remote utility meters etc.

Iridium's 66 LEO cross-linked satellites – the world's largest commercial constellation – operate as a fully meshed network that is supported by multiple in-orbit spares.  Reaching over oceans, through airways and across the Polar Regions, Iridium solutions are ideally suited for industries such as maritime, aviation, government/military, emergency/humanitarian services, mining, forestry, oil and gas, heavy equipment, transportation and utilities.

Iridium provides service to subscribers from the U.S. Department of Defence, as well as other civil and government agencies around the world. It sells its products, solutions and services through a network of service providers and value-added dealers.

Kenny says that business is showing no sign of slowing down with Iridium, which, he says, is increasingly shifting its focus towards M2M with many of the heavy plant & machinery companies in their sights. “This is good for us. Not only are the OEMs looking towards Iridium for M2M services but there are a growing number of companies looking to integrate Iridium into their existing cellular offerings and looking at multiband antenna solutions which include Iridium,” he says.
In contrast, Kenny says that Iridium’s voice products, used mainly by military, aviation and marine, are coming under the economic spotlight. “With the United States armed forces pulling out of Afghanistan and other conflict areas, the restructuring of Globalstar’s satellite infrastructure and the slow, steady growth of Thuraya, competition for voice customers is very strong,” says Kenny.

“In spite of this however, we are still experiencing fairly strong demand for Iridium antenna products in their more traditional applications like ocean buoys, utility monitoring, asset tracking and demand for these, along with M2M applications, should grow with Iridium NEXT, Iridium’s next-generation constellation anticipated to begin launching in 2015,” he says.

“Our top Iridium sellers in 2014 will be the new VLP multi-purpose antennas followed by the Alpha and Venus antennas. These are all superb machine-to-machine designs in terms of price and performance. They are all practical, aesthetic, hard-wearing and can have small footprints making them suitable for a wide range of M2M applications and, combined with Multiband’s customer-focused approach, will make a very attractive offering,” says Kenny.

Paul Richards, Webb MD says that Webb’s partnership with Multiband has been a most productive one over the years. “Together we bring to market new antenna combinations every year based on patch, air core and helical technologies in a variety of shapes and sizes, including VLP, and Multiband is expert at matching these designs to the customers’ communications hardware,” he concludes.

Webb Industries, part of the JSE-listed Jasco Group, was established in 1973, and has grown into one of the largest suppliers of ancillary telecommunications equipment to the sub-Saharan region.