Harman builds clutter-free design antenna for 5G ready connected cars

With predictions that the modern connected car could need as many as 18 antennae to provide all relevant services, Harman announced a 5G-ready, multiband conformal antenna for cars, which combines multiple antennae in one module that can be mounted below a vehicle's body panels, allowing car makers new possibilities for vehicle design.

"Up until now, car makers have typically employed a "shark fin" antenna in combination with a variety of other antennas distributed around the vehicle but with ever more connected services, it's no longer viable for designers," said Vishnu Sundaram, Vice President, Telematics Business Unit, Harman Connected Car. "Working with Samsung and several OEM partners, the Harman team has designed a solution that is compact and aesthetically pleasing."

Alongside the current WiFi, Bluetooth and radio connectivity, Harman's antenna can also accommodate Vehicle to Infrastructure, Electronic Toll Collection and Remote Keyless Entry. 5G connectivity brought by this antenna will allow drivers and passengers to completely change the way they go about their drive, allowing them to stream content at unprecedented speed to truly personalise their experience.

"We're currently evaluating the antennas with several premium car makers to validate the design for each specific vehicle and expect to see the conformal antennas available for model year 2021 vehicles," added Sundaram.

According to BI Intelligence, by 2020 there will be around 220 million connected cars on roads across the globe, increasing from the 30 million connected cars in use today.