Inside Unmanned Systems

APR-MAY 2017

Inside Unmanned Systems provides actionable business intelligence to decision-makers and influencers operating within the global UAS community. Features include analysis of key technologies, policy/regulatory developments and new product design.

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50 unmanned systems inside   April/May 2017 INFRASTRUCTURE COMMUNICATIONS Photos courtesy of Inmarsat, Kymeta, Intelsat, AnsuR Technologies and Cobham The mTenna u7 is electronically steered so the unit itself does not pivot or otherwise move. It can send and receive through a single aperture and takes only 12 watts of power—a comparable phased array antenna would need a couple of kilowatts of power, Kundtz said. The difference in price is just as dramatic. The 70cm diameter version of the mTenna u7 wholesales for about $15,000, he said, while the bill for a phased array antenna would be closer to $1.5 million. screens; in fact, Sharp is now producing a com- ponent for the 70 cm version of the antenna, which should be available in May. A 20 cm ver- sion is under development. Though connected vehicles is the initial tar- get market, the mTenna u7 was originally de- signed for yachts, and the antennas are sealed to prevent water damage. They can operate in temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Celsius to 70 degrees Celsius and it should be possible to make them useable on aircraft— even very small ones. "It would be fairly straightforward to put the heating elements in necessary to take them into a fully aeronautical environment," Kundtz said. "So we think that that's feasible." Intelsat acquired an equity stake in Kymeta earlier this year and is partnering with them on a by-the-gigabyte service called KYLO. The service allows customers to buy only what they need in a way that is familiar. Though KYLO starts with service to the 70 cm an- tenna, it is designed, Kundtz said, to address smaller apertures. The mTenna u7 is based on metamaterials, the science of combining and structuring ma- terials so that they create new capabilities. The technology is not unlike that found in TV " I THINK IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IT'S HUGE IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL GROWTH OF DATA. AND WE'RE GOING TO PLAY IN IT. WE'RE PART OF THAT SOLUTION." Stephen Spengler, CEO, Intelsat

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