Sony Ericsson, one of the largest mobile phone makers in the world, is reported to have taken a license for using multi-band antenna technology from Antenova in high-performance handsets. The news comes shortly after the company announced having financial problems, translated into a massive loss during the ongoing quarter, something that fueled the rumors that the joint venture between Sony and Ericsson might soon come to an end.

Antenova is a leading supplier of high-performance antennas, as well as RF antenna modules for mobile handsets, portable navigation devices (PNDs), portable media players (PMPs), PDAs and laptop computers. The company's patented high dielectric antennas (HDAs) are able to provide support for frequency bands for GSM, UMTS, EGSM and CDMA standards.

According to Antenova, the detuning characteristics of its HDA technology are able to provide up to 50 percent average terminal radiation efficiency compared to cellular bands. The company says that its HDAs are able to provide the basis for integrated antenna solutions that are smaller and more efficient, while also delivering support for multiple bands and more performance for mobile phones and other portable devices.

“The licensing of Antenova's HDA technology expands the selection of innovative antenna technologies that can be used in our products,” said Gerard Hayes from the technology and research group at Sony Ericsson, in a statement.

The technologies used by Antenova are not limited to HDAs, but they also include Datanova multi-band mobile broadband and giganova standard antennas. The company is known for selling antenna modules and for licensing radio frequency (RF) design IP. Its solutions can be used either as standalone antennas or as modules that integrate RF components. In addition, it can also provide manufacturers with components that offer a lot of advantages when it comes to size, power efficiency or ease of integration.