Report Advisory

The report will be useful to those providing, selecting or integrating WiFi 802-11a-g connectivity in business, retail, entertainment and public location applications. Performance findings have implications on other wireless connectivity including cellular, RF, etc.

The performance of 2.4Ghz, 8-17dBi antennas in panel, yagi, circularly-polarized and a new, multi-polarity style is reported based on testing in real world conditions on a rural and a heavily obstructed urban test ranges at Navy Pier and Moraine Valley College in Chicago. In early November 2004 over 780 readings in 21 locations were taken to determine the performance of WiFi antennas available from seven different suppliers.

The superior performance demonstrated by new, multi-polarity antennas is quantified, and the signal capture range values and the implications of antenna performance improvements are described.

About the author: Lyle Bunn is a Senior Partner of Apogee Partners with a focus on leading edge information, telecommunications, display, nano, material and biometric technologies. His white papers and articles are provided to a wide range of broadcast, print and online publications, and he regularly presents on technology trends. He has held senior positions in national technology associations, assisted in development of technology industry policy with the White House and the four levels of government, and has often facilitated the development of multinational trade links, including USA and Pakistan links in preparation for the Iraq invasion. Other projects have included establishing a North America industry-wide, on-demand, pay per use broadband platform for entertainment creation and distribution, architecting the technology industry development strategy for the province of Ontario (annually $110B revenues, 435,000 direct employment). He produced the first satellite based educational telecast in Canada, and created the business plan for a transnational telecom equipment provider to advice the Board of Director level of the largest 100 organizations in the world. He is currently assisting in the advanced application of telecom and display technology for commercial and Homeland Security applications. Contact: lylebunnap@hotmail.com

Apogee Partner White Papers available at the Apogee partners website http://members.rogers.com/apogeepartners include:
Electronic Signage Networks as “Killer Application” July 2004
Electronic Signage Networks (ESN) for Homeland Security through Dynamic Image
Provisioning Application (DIPA): (March 2004)
Dynamic Image Provisioning Applications (DIPA) (November 2003)
Investment Worthy Technologies (May 2003)
Making Technology Happen (January 2003)
Additional information about this study such as specific site readings and additional analysis can be obtained from Apogee Partners.