Antennas can be grouped into two types: narrowband or wideband. As their names imply, one type covers a broader swath of spectrum than the other. Here’s an overview of how they compare:
Narrowband:
- Frequency Range: Occupies a smaller range of the frequency spectrum.
- Data Capacity: Can carry less information than wideband.
- Noise: Less prone to noise interference outside the channel.
- Applications: Telephony and Internet of Things (IoT) for long-range communication with low power consumption. Examples include Narrowband loT (NB-IoT) and some radio communication systems, such as Family Radio Service (FRS).
Wideband:
- Frequency Range: Occupies a larger range of the frequency spectrum.
- Data Capacity: Can carry more information than narrowband.
- Noise: More susceptible to noise interference outside the channel.
- Applications: High-fidelity audio and higher data transmission rates in wireless communication. Examples include General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) and certain types of radio systems where improved audio quality is desired.
Key Differences:
- Data Transmission: Wideband can transmit more data at a higher rate.
- Frequency Spectrum Usage: Narrowband uses less frequency space, potentially allowing for more channels within a given frequency band.
- Audio Quality: Wideband can provide richer, higher-fidelity audio.
- Interference: Narrowband may be less susceptible to interference in crowded environments.
But names also can be deceiving because the application often determines what’s wide and what’s narrow. For example, the Taoglas Apex IV TG.46.8113 is a wideband antenna that covers 450 MHz to 6 GHz, making it a good fit for applications that use 4G and 5G cellular, and Wi-Fi. The Taoglas Guardian line of multi-band antennas are popular with public safety because their narrowband design achieves high efficiency. Having a single antenna also means they’re less susceptible to interference and noise compared to combination antennas.
One key benefit of the ISA.06’s wideband design is more stable performance in more types of installations. The ISA.06 is tuned for mounting on plastic surfaces, which makes it ideal for public safety applications that need to hide their antennas for covert operations.
The application’s radio is always a decisive factor when choosing an antenna. For example, the Semtech AirLink XR90 transmits and receives in dozens of 3G, 4G (including LPWA), and 5G bands. It has a single RF port for those bands, so a wideband antenna is the way to go.
When the Cole County Emergency Response Team (ERT) was developing its new Mobile Emergency Operations Center (MEOC), one top requirement was the ability to connect to FirstNet, public cellular networks, satellite, and Wi-Fi. This diversity ensures ample fallback options when the primary communication service is unavailable, such as because a tornado took out all of the cellular towers in an area.
Another top requirement was that all of the antennas had to be installed on the MEOC’s roof. PEAKE, the company designing and equipping the MEOC, chose the Taoglas MA995 Custom wideband panel antenna, which includes eight 5G/4G MIMO antennas and one L1/L5 antenna covering GPS and other major GNSS constellations. At just 148 x 134 x 20.5 mm, the MA955 also is the world’s smallest 9-in-1 antenna, making it ideal for public safety applications where installation is limited to tight locations such as vehicle headliners and rear windows.
All of this is a lot to consider, which is why savvy device OEMs, systems integrators, and end users turn to a trusted expert that can provide them with the insights they need. To learn more about how to select the right antenna, speak to Taoglas’ expert team by clicking on the button below.
