ALCAN Systems GmbH, founded in 2016 and based in Darmstadt, Germany, is a telecommunications company specializing in developing smart antenna systems. Their innovative flat panel antennas utilize liquid crystal technology to electronically steer beams for satellite and 5G communications. ALCAN's antennas target both enterprise and consumer markets, offering cost-effective solutions for satellite ground terminals and mobile connectivity. Key partners include Merck, SES, and BOE, and their technology aims to provide high-throughput, low-profile connectivity for various applications, including land mobile, maritime, and home broadband.
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Companies including Isotropic Systems, ThinKom, Alcan Systems, and C-Com are developing flat-panel antenna models with target prices ranging from around $10,000 to under $1,000 depending on application.
Alcan Systems postponed its antenna release from 2018 to 2020.
Darmstadt, Germany-based Alcan Systems aims to sell business-grade flat panel antennas for under $10,000 each and consumer-grade antennas for under $1,000.
SES is working with Alcan Systems, Isotropic Systems, and Viasat to build flat or low-profile electronically steered antennas for its O3b mPower satellite system.
Isotropic Systems and Alcan Systems are targeting 2019 releases of sub-$1,000 consumer electronically steered antennas.
Alcan Systems targets enterprise antenna prices under 10,000 EUR and consumer antenna prices under 1,000 EUR.
Each Alcan Systems electronically steered antenna is designed to reach throughputs of 250 Mbps and have switching speeds between satellites of 5 milliseconds.
Alcan Systems’ antenna is based on research by Technical University of Darmstadt Professor Rolf Jakoby on using liquid crystals for radiofrequency communications that began in 2002.
Alcan Systems worked with display manufacturers in Asia and demonstrated the ability to produce antennas on LCD production lines.
Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) provided 650,000 EUR in 2014 to the Jakoby research project and provided another 200,000 EUR when Alcan Systems spun off from the university in 2016.
Arranging mass production infrastructure delayed Alcan Systems’ first commercial antennas to 2019.
Alcan Systems received a collective 7,500,000 EUR investment last year from SES, the Merck Group, and the Beijing Singularity Power Investment Fund.