Innovative Satellite Antennas for Emerging M2M/IoT applications

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Satellite technology is a key enabler for supporting emerging machine-to-machine (M2M) communication as well as Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Recent surveys estimate that worldwide wireless traffic will increase sevenfold between 2016 and 2021. IoT and M2M devices are the fastest growing category with 20-30 billion connected nodes expected by 2020. Providing global connectivity to such a large number of devices will be very challenging with terrestrial backhaul infrastructure due to its intrinsic costs. Satellite-based networks offer a cost-effective and scalable alternative, providing global wireless service ideally-suited to IoT and M2M needs. Nevertheless, the decreasing size of M2M/IoT satellites combined with their non-geostationary orbits and recent migration to higher (mm-wave) operating frequencies imposes major challenges on the design of both ground and space segment antennas. M2M/IoT applications require low-power, low-cost, beam-steerable gateway terminals on the ground, and deployable, high-gain multi-frequency antennas on board satellites. This project will address these requirements by developing innovative antenna solutions in both segments, as well as cutting-edge numerical analysis techniques enabling the rapid design of such antennas. These solutions are based on exploiting advances in electromagnetic surfaces, reconfigurable antennas, and computationally efficient techniques pioneered by members of our team. In conjunction with Thales, a global leader in aerospace, transportation and defence solutions, we will create antenna technologies urgently needed to achieve the widespread adoption of satellite-enabled M2M/IoT systems. In turn, this will open up many exciting applications in remote telematics, connected transportation systems, smart agriculture, intelligent shipping, remote monitoring and others important for large countries with sparse terrestrial network infrastructure outside of urban centres, such as Canada.