TERAWI-LESS : A New Ultra High Speed Network

Project Information

TERAWI-LESS

Grant agreement ID: 761358

DOI

10.3030/761358

Project closed

EC signature date 25 January 2017

Start date 1 February 2017

End date 31 May 2017

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

ANTERAL SL
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TERAWI-LESS (TERAWI-LESS : A New Ultra High Speed Network)

Reporting period: 2017-02-01 to 2017-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Thanks to the Phase 1 project granted, Anteral has been able to carry out an in-depth Feasibility Study. The Phase 1 project intended to scale up the production and commercialisation of a low-cost antenna for communication purposes operating in the THz band (i.e: 0.1-10 THz). Such a product shall be able to provide high speed data rates up to 40Gbps, being Point-to-point data links the main application envisaged.
However, after the conclusions obtained throughout the feasibility study, it has been evidenced that, although significant market growth is expected for the telecom market segment after 2020, the uncertainty about a stable regulatory framework in the next coming years will hamper the penetration of THz systems intended for telecom applications. Indeed these applications will mostly consist on satellite communication devices more than terrestrial wireless links. Moreover, the coaching sessions provided by the European Commission has offered an extra tool to detect this fact.
On the other hand, greater market opportunities in the short-to medium term have been identified at lower frequencies, in which next generation wireless technologies are expected to rely. As a result, Anteral has decided to shift the targeted spectrum from THz radiation towards millimetre waves (mm-W) antennas. The study, therefore, provided very interesting and unexpected outcomes, which made us present a Phase-2 proposal with a turn in the market where our solution will be sold.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The overall objective of the project is the scale-up, definition of full specifications and development of a commercialization plan to bring our flexible and versatile antenna platform to market.
a) During the Technical Feasibility Study, the existing problems and deficiencies have been analysed, identifying several technological solutions to overcome each of them. Finally, Anteral´s specialists have found a holistic solution able not only to eliminate or minimise these problems but also to definitively improve the overall solution:
Switch to moulding techniques for all components of the MilliWavE antennas.
The work has included a cost analysis for the new manufacturing process as well as the definition of the most appropriate validation and certification methods.
b) The commercial feasibility study has identified and quantified the potential and target markets for MilliWavE, as well as the key end-users for our antennas.
Based on these facts, a strategic plan has been defined for MilliWavE commercialization, potential partners have also been identified in the targeted areas, together with the establishment of a strategy for the creation of commercial networks.
Anteral has also drafted a dissemination and communication plan for the project, in order to spread progresses and make the project results available for adequate audiences.
The regulatory framework for the project have been analysed both in Europe and USA and freedom to operate of Anteral has been confirmed.
c) Within the financial feasibility study, Anteral has defined a sales strategy, with the establishment of procedures for the manufacturing, testing, validation and sales. Following a strong commercial strategy, the average selling price has been set in 500 € per unit.
An in-depth analysis for the sales forecast in a 5 years´ scenario has been carried out, with the estimation of 13.100 units sold by 2025 in the target areas (4% market share) which generates revenues of 6.4 M€ for the company.
Relevant financial indicators have been calculated for the project in the mentioned 5 years´ scenario, resulting in a cumulative profit during the 5 first years of commercialization (2020-2025) of 2.44 M€ and a ROI of 2,1.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The novelty of the MilliWavE technology resides in its design, capable of adapting to several frequency bands by making minor modifications to the system, reducing costs while providing optimal performance. The solution is, therefore, suitable for wireless backhaul applications, expected to dominate the 5G network deployments in the next coming years. Anteral will scale-up the production of these antennas through a cost-efficient manufacturing process. Thanks to its flexibility, the technology can also be applied to other markets envisaged for higher frequency antennas, addressing the current and future needs of the telecom and ICT industries. As a result, our products are expected to play a key role in the forthcoming networked society, contributing to the EU’s leadership in the introduction and deployment of fifth generation wireless technologies.

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