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Plasma Antennas Ltd was formed to develop low cost, solid state antennas that can steer radio beams without moving parts. In this respect, a plasma antenna is rather like a lighthouse, transmitting a directional beam. In contrast, most of todays communications antennas transmit equally in all directions in the same way as a light bulb. Moreover,
the plasma antenna can shift to a new position in around one microsecond.
As the inexorable trend towards higher frequencies continues, smart directional antennas will become essential. This is because the atmosphere becomes more absorptive as the radio frequency increases and the added power of the directional antenna helps compensate for this atmospheric effect. Since they are made of silicon and have no moving parts, PALs antennas are inherently inexpensive, and as a consequence they should be the natural choice for future high frequency communication systems.
Plasma Antennas basic technology is protected by a variety of international patent filings. The potential volumes could be very large indeed; one estimate is that 100m directional antennas could be required to give the UK a mobile network that operated at millimetre wavelengths (30 GHz), which, on current trends might be expected to be reached in ten years time. One scenario envisages every car having such an antenna, so that a network is automatically created wherever there are cars. London and motorways would automatically have coverage - there would be no need for fixed base stations.
