Europe : Antenova Ltd., the integrated RF solutions company, today launched RADIONOVA, a range of fully integrated radio antenna modules that significantly reduce the cost and complexity of adding wireless connectivity to mobile phones, laptop PCs and other consumer electronic devices.

RADIONOVA modules incorporate Antenova's high-efficiency High Dielectric Antenna (HDA) technology with all the key radio frequency (RF) components in a single easy to integrate module. The advanced balanced antenna is highly resistant to de-tuning, so the same RADIONOVA module can be used across multiple product designs and will operate at multiple frequencies. RADIONOVA is the only complete RF solution where the wireless performance is unaffected by the module's position - providing OEMs and ODMs incomparable design flexibility, cost reduction and time to market advantages. Initial RADIONOVA products to be made available will be the multiband GSM and CDMA RADIONOVA modules, which will be followed by the UMTS RADIONOVA for 3G cellular and the multiband Wi-Fi DATA RADIONOVA.

Greg McCray, CEO at Antenova, said, "Product design cycles are becoming shorter and shorter as mobile phone and consumer electronics companies try to meet consumer demand and compete for greater market share. Having spoken to a number of our key customers, it is clear that there is a real need for standard RF solutions that can easily and quickly be integrated across multiple designs or form factors with minimal customisation. We have developed RADIONOVA to give customers maximum design flexibility with the cost benefits of a standard component."

RADIONOVA modules have been specifically designed to be usable across multiple wireless protocols. Antenova's patented dielectric balanced antenna technology enables the RF performance to be independent of the module's surroundings, even when applied to multiband designs. The antenna impedance is virtually independent of the groundplane length, and less PCB real estate is required as the antenna works over the top of the other components. This presents huge time, and thus cost, savings for companies developing handsets or products that may operate at different or multiple frequencies. Antenova is simplifying RF integration.

Kirsten West, Principal Analyst for West Technology Research Solutions, stated, "Today the wireless industry is following other, more established, industries with ever shrinking development times. The incredible pace of technology in the wireless industry is making it difficult if not impossible for handset makers to internally develop all technology without maintaining in-house expertise at prohibitive costs. In fact, antenna technology has advanced to the point of supporting the developing market need for a modular RF solution to make integration easier for cellphones and other wireless products."

Professor Simon Kingsley, Chief Scientist, Antenova commented, "We believe RADIONOVA is the first commercially available packaged RF solution incorporating the antenna and is designed to sit easily on top of the radio ICs and other components. We have designed RADIONOVA to be environment-agnostic, so the same module can be used in multiple designs, thereby eliminating a lot of RF design headaches."

Antenova will be showcasing the RADIONOVA modules at 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, 14-17 February and at CTIA Wireless 2005 in New Orleans, 14-16 March.