What is the future of antennas in an urban environment?

Nokia Siemens Networks and Aalto University to organize an active antenna design competition for students as part World Design Capital Helsinki 2012

One of the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 key themes is looking at how good design can improve peoples’ everyday lives. During the project, Nokia Siemens Networks and Aalto University will explore potential new designs for future mobile network antennas. Antennas are part of our urban environment and make it possible for people to use data and voice services with their mobile devices.

The dynamic efficiency of antennas is more and more important, as the use of mobile broadband services is increasing. Demand for network capacity fluctuates as people use their favorite applications in different times and places. Network capacity – and therefore antennas – needs to be delivered to where people want to use services. This makes good antenna design more and more important.

The project is part of Aalto University´s International Design Business Management program (IDBM). This is a joint program between Aalto University’s School of Arts, Design and Architecture, School of Engineering and School of Economics. Students will be given the task to create ideas for a new antenna design under the theme “What would an active antenna look like in 2020 in an urban environment – create an antenna that we don’t need to hide!”

“Students from different disciplines will work jointly during our Interdisciplinary Product Development course, bringing their different backgrounds to the project. The project also fits well to Aalto University’s World design Capital theme of promoting better living environments,” says professor Kalevi Ekman, Aalto University Department of Engineering Design and Production.

Aalto University’s IDBM program has been listed as one of the “World´s Best Design Programs” by Business Week in 2009.

“Our aim is to offer people excellent experience in using mobile broadband. Good design is part of the experience, therefore we wanted to participate with this project in the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012,” says Pekka Soini, Finland country director, Nokia Siemens Networks.

The proposals created by the students are evaluated by a panel consisting of design and technology experts from Aalto University and Nokia Siemens Networks. The best design will be awarded and a model of it will be placed in the company’s Solution Experience Center.

“Active antennas mark the next step in the evolution of radio networks, integrating the base station’s radio frequency (RF) elements into the antenna. This means considerable capacity gains and coverage improvements. Active Antenna as a system enables new innovative designs and that’s what we are looking for in this project,” says Ossi Pöllänen, senior consultant, Nokia Siemens Networks Chief Technology Office.

About Aalto University

Aalto University, Finland is a new multidisciplinary science and art community in the fields of science, economics, and art and design. The University is founded on Finnish strengths, and its goal is to develop as a unique entity to become one of the world's top universities. Aalto University's cornerstones are its strengths in education and research. At the new University, there are 20,000 basic degree and graduate students as well as a staff of 4,700 of which 340 are professors. Aalto University’s programme for the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 raises awareness of research and education related to the design of living environments. The programme is called Living+. living.aalto.fi

About Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia Siemens Networks is the world’s specialist in mobile broadband. From the first ever call on GSM, to the first call on a commercial LTE network, we operate at the forefront of each generation of mobile technology. Our global experts invent the new capabilities our customers need in their networks. We provide the world’s most efficient mobile networks, the intelligence to maximize the value of those networks, and the services to make it all work together seamlessly.

With headquarters in Espoo, Finland, we operate in over 150 countries and had revenues of over 14 billion euros in 2011.
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