Technology and Competition Complexity to Boost Shipments of IoT Antenna by 2025

The increase in the number of IoT devices, use cases, and machines in addition to the radio spectrum and different protocols is leading to more complexity to design and integrate antennas with different products.

An analysis conducted by ABI Research, the global technology market advisory company, reveals the growth of the antenna market to meet specific challenges relating to IoT. Moreover, the analysis shows that the shipment of IoT antennas will reach the 7.2 billion mark in 2025. The core reason for the increase in shipment is the rise in technology and competition complexity. The report also sheds light on the key technology trends and shift in the business models by the manufacturers of antennas.

The Research Analyst of IoT Hardware & Devices at ABI Research, Tancred Taylor, said that the increase in radio complexity, low power consumption, device miniaturization, and complicated certification landscape accounts for the difficulty in antenna integration. He adds that while the smartphone industry is familiar with these challenges, various OEMs in the IoT market lack the in-house specialization for addressing these complexities. It creates opportunities for the manufacturers of IoT antennas to offer additional services and support throughout the design cycle of a project.

Vendors are currently making significant changes to their approaches in order to meet the unique needs of different devices. Taylor further explains that the analysis of the use case reveals that the custom-designed antennas are likely to have the maximum shipment. However, the shift towards the provision of a broad selection of tunable and pre-built components could affect the custom antenna dominance and make product assembling and design of IoT devices more accessible.

Manufacturers like Ignion or Antenova are making efforts to build off-the-shelf product lines to replace or complement their offerings of custom antennas. Other vendors like Linx Technologies, Laird, PSA Group, or Taoglas are expanding their product portfolios to become a one-stop shop and deliver more parts of the desired solution. Moreover, a number of antenna vendors are turning towards services and software to ensure the best outcomes. However, the entry of the largest modules supplier, Quectel, to the supplier group of one-stop-shop is considered to be potentially disruptive. The firm has added antennas recently to its portfolio of different product offerings.

The approaches of the vendors vary from providing simulation services to design services or certification assistance to help the OEM through the product design cycle. Antenna manufacturers are continuously on the lookout for the evolution of their capabilities and skills through acquisitions and building in-house expertise.

The antenna OEMs have to think in a strategic way relating to the business models in order to remain relevant in the diverse technological and competitive landscape. Taylor also said that both technical and business variables need to be considered, including the partnerships to enhance component interoperability and broaden sales channels and new technologies like dynamic tuning chips and active antenna systems. It is expected to see a number of vendors with a wide range of services and product offerings.

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