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Zetifi is calling for farmers in New South Wales and northern Victoria to express their interest in trialling Zetifi solutions, as part the Morrison Government’s $2 million Alternative Voice Services Trial (AVST) Program. Zetifi will provide a multi-carrier connection so that triallists can confidently use Wi-Fi Calling to make calls, even when the household has poor or no mobile cellular coverage. The AVST Program seeks to assess and validate alternative technologies to provide better phone services and functionality in rural and remote areas.

Zetifi Founder and CEO Dan Winson explained that instead of relying solely on their current mobile, satellite or high-capacity radio concentrator (HCRC) coverage to make voice calls, Zetifi will provide a multi-carrier connection so that triallists can confidently use Wi-Fi Calling to make calls, even when the household has poor or no mobile cellular coverage.

While Wi-Fi Calling is not new, the maturity of the technology makes it an attractive alternative to traditional voice services for those living in areas with poor or patchy mobile coverage. The increased reliability, resilience and range of Zetifi’s ruggedised Wi-Fi means that rural and remote residents are less reliant on their proximity to mobile towers and other network infrastructure.

“Many of us living in highly populated areas take our phone service or mobile coverage for granted but that’s not the case for many people in rural and remote areas. The disruptions caused by the current pandemic, combined with more people wanting to work from rural and remote areas, have only emphasised the need for reliable connectivity,” said Dan.

“We’re keen to hear from farmers who are interested in taking part in these trials. By providing these farmers with a Zetifi Wi-Fi network, which enable them to make Wi-Fi calls, we’re aiming to prove that our technology can not only provide a solution to poor mobile coverage but provide a stable and reliable replacement for the legacy radio and copper network in rural and remote areas.”

The program will provide 50 farmers with access to a fully subsidised hardware installation and a 12 month subscription to Zetifi solutions to help them access better connectivity for Wi-Fi calls. 40 farmers will receive a ZetiBase, which predominantly provides indoor Wi-Fi for areas where weak mobile signals cannot penetrate the residence. The remaining 10 trial participants will be provided with a ZetiCell, a longer-range solution for areas with very poor coverage that provides outdoor Wi-Fi and the option to extend connectivity to sheds, yards and across the farm.

The company is looking to have all 50 units installed and ready to use by May 31.

Dan says the ZetiBase and ZetiCell solutions are just a few of the Zetifi hardware solutions developed to leverage existing telecommunications infrastructure while filling in connectivity gaps in the bush.

“While our focus in the AVST is on providing better home voice services, our unique advantage is that we can also provide more robust data connectivity and extend this connectivity right across the farm so that farmers need not drive home or to the top of a hill to get a connection,” he said.

The AVST Program will last for 12 months and participants will be able to continue their service and subscription at the conclusion of the trial.

To register your interest in receiving a Zetifi solution as part of the AVST Program, email hello@zetifi.com or call 1300 093 711.

The Morrison Government today announced NBN Co, Concerotel and Zetifi as the first three grant recipients under its competitive $2 million Alternative Voice Services Trials (AVST) Program.

Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said that the trials aim to find better ways of delivering voice services for the future. Zetifi will deliver up to 50 trial voice services to provide improved Wi-Fi calling for farms in rural and remote areas of New South Wales and northern Victoria that currently experience poor mobile coverage.

Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government, the Hon Mark Coulton MP is encouraging rural and remote Australians to consider taking part in the trials. The grantees will ramp up recruitment of participants for the trials in the coming months so those consumers interested in participating in the trials should stay tuned for details.

More information is available on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications website at https://www.communications.gov.au/what-we-do/phone/phone-services/universal-service-guarantee-telecommunications/alternative-voice-services-trials-program

Zetifi has claimed one of the top prizes in the hotly contested Cornell University Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Business Competition, taking home US$500,000 for second place.

Grow-NY is a high-profile food and agriculture business competition that is delivered by Cornell University in partnership with Empire State Development and the NYS Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture. The program identifies, supports, and funds the top food, beverage, and agriculture innovations across the globe, with the aim of establishing Upstate New York as a global leader in agtech development and adoption. The competition win includes prize money, mentorship, training, business development support, and tax incentives.

Zetifi will establish a team in Rochester, New York, during 2021 to continue development of the company’s proprietary network deployment and management software and as a base for commercial sales and product trials in Upstate New York.

US-based CNH Industrial, owner of agricultural equipment machinery company Case IH, actively engages with startups around the world to identify new and innovative solutions. The two companies first met in 2019 at the AgriFutures EvokeAg conference and Case IH immediately recognised the potential of Zetifi’s unique approach to solving the issue of poor network coverage on farms using power-efficient long-range Wi-Fi.

This introduction has since developed into a productive partnership between Zetifi and Case IH Australia/New Zealand, through a series of successful customer trials involving a portable Wi-Fi repeater fitted to a tractor, enabling a machine’s telematics, remote support and data transfer capabilities; along with Wi-Fi calling, messaging, email and internet access for the machine’s operator. As a result of these successful Australian trials, Zetifi is looking to replicate these trials in other markets and is in discussions with large US Case IH dealership, Monroe Tractor, which has multiple locations across New York State.

This project has been made possible by Zetifi’s involvement in the 2020 Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Competition, of which Zetifi has just been named a finalist. Beyond the chance to secure some welcome funding from the $3M prize money available, it has allowed the company to make some valuable contacts in New York State and potentially offer its technology to farmers in the US experiencing similar coverage problems to their counterparts in rural and regional Australia.

On the 14th of September, Zetifi was joined by Federal MP for the Riverina and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, NSW member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr, and other dignitaries for the opening of our new factory and office in East Wagga Wagga.

Mr McCormack remarked upon Zetifi’s innovative technology and ability to fill in the connectivity gaps for farmers and other residents in rural and remote areas.

This new office and factory provides the space needed for Zetifi’s growing team which has grown from just one person to nine full-time employees in just 18 months.

This new facility has been made possible by way of the $644,370 from the Federal Government through the Accelerating Commercialisation program and an additional $680,000 from private investors.

Full media release from Michael McCormack MP: https://www.michaelmccormack.com.au/media-releases/2020/9/14/644370-federal-government-grant-helps-get-zetifi-off-the-ground

Zetifi has been awarded a $644,370 Federal Government grant to continue the development of its ‘sleepy’ Wi-Fi technology. This technology decreases the power demand for Wi-Fi systems and makes it possible to deploy off-grid Wi-Fi solutions into rural and remote locations.

The grant will enable Zetifi to employ new staff with specialised skills in software development, networking and manufacturing.

Government announcement: https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/karenandrews/media-releases/28m-grants-boost-aussie-innovation

WAGGA WAGGA – Dec. 7th, 2022 – Wagga Wagga-based connectivity company Zetifi announced today that it has raised $12m through a Series A funding round led by Telstra and GrainCorp, with participation from existing investors including Cultiv8 Funds Management, GrainInnovate, and Artesian.

The company’s long-range Wi-Fi coverage extension products address a major barrier to the digitalisation of agriculture and are recognised as a foundational technology that will unlock significant value from on-farm digital technologies in the years ahead.

“Our experiences over the last few years confirm that agriculture and the ag services sectors are eager to adopt digital technology and automation, as long they have a connectivity solution that supports it,” said Zetifi CEO & Founder, Dan Winson.

Dan credits their focus on the unique connectivity needs of agriculture and remote areas, and proximity to these customers from their regional base, for much of their success to date.

“We approached the problem from the farmers’ perspective and the ability to be on-farm testing our ideas within a few minutes has accelerated the development of our products and technology,” said Dan.

“It’s allowed us to rapidly iterate and refine the scalable applications of our technology that we’ll now be preparing for the mass-market.

“This will involve doubling our software and product teams, scaling manufacturing to support demand in Australia, and taking on the US market within the next 12-18 months.”

Telstra’s investment reflects its commitment to supporting connectivity and innovation for the benefit of regional and remote communities.

Luke Harwood, Head of Innovation & Managing Director of Telstra’s early-stage investment arm, muru-D explains: “We’ve worked with Dan and the Zetifi team since they were part of our muru-D start-up accelerator program in 2019. We’re thrilled to see the progress they have made since then and the support we can provide as they scale.”

“There is massive opportunity for technology to help Aussie farmers boost agricultural output and play a bigger part in Australia’s growing digital economy. Innovations like those developed by Zetifi and our other agtech investments that leverage our network and scale for the benefit of farmers, local jobs and local communities are great examples of the solutions we want to support.”

Zetifi’s promise as productivity enabler for agriculture is well illustrated by the strong support and investor backing in this round from the Australian grains industry, with co-lead investment from GrainCorp, and additional investment from GrainInnnovate.

For GrainCorp, the investment is a fitting first step for their $30 million GrainCorp Ventures fund established in May.

“Connectivity is a key enabler for the advancement of modern agriculture,” GrainCorp CEO Robert Spurway said.

“Australian growers are early adopters of technological innovation on-farm, and it’s a credit to their resilient nature that they continue to lead the way on digital advancements,” he said.

“GrainCorp Ventures focuses on identifying and accelerating the next generation of technologies that will keep growers ahead of the competition, and that’s what we see in Zetifi.

“Many of the people at GrainCorp also live and work alongside growers and our customers in regional communities and experience connectivity issues firsthand, so partnering with Zetifi will help to unlock significant value for the agricultural sector.”

The GrainInnovate Fund – a partnership between the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Artesian – highlight similar reasons for increasing their investment.

GRDC Managing Director Nigel Hart said connectivity remains a major issue in rural and regional Australia and investment in new technology and solutions, through companies like Zetifi, was critical for the grains industry.

“GRDC is committed to investments that support or improve connectivity, because we know that precision agriculture is an integral part of grain farming and growers are utilising technology every day to improve on-farm production – from record keeping, to making informed, data driven decisions on things like Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning, input calculations and seed distribution,” he said.

“Increasing innovation depends on having a reliable connection on-farm so the work that companies such as Zetifi are doing is critical for the grains industry’s future.”

In the case of Jonathon Quigley from Cultiv8 Funds Management, who have also chosen to increase their investment in Zetifi, his confidence has been bolstered by his own first-hand experience with their products.

“Dan participated in our SparkLabs Cultiv8 startup accelerator in 2019 and as a trial I had the very first ZetiRover installed in my ute. The device has allowed me to stay connected throughout my regional travels using it for video conferences, phone calls, emails, messages, and even delivering my primary work internet service during COVID lockdowns,” said Jonathon.

For more information about Zetifi, visit https://zetifi.com

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INVESTOR FUND PROFILES

Telstra – Telstra is Australia’s leading telecommunications and technology company, offering a full range of communications services and competing in all telecommunications markets. It also has an international presence spanning more than 20 countries.

GrainCorp Venture Fund – GrainCorp Ventures is a $30 million corporate venture capital fund that focuses on investing in start-ups that help build a sustainable future for the Australian agriculture industry. GrainCorp seeks to invest minority stakes in early-stage seed to Series B opportunities across AgTech, animal nutrition and food innovation.

Cultiv8 Agriculture and Food Technology Fund – Cultiv8 Funds Management is a unique, sustainably focused Funds Group, investing and partnering with companies driving innovation in global agriculture and food. We take an active, collaborative approach to solve real problems, develop solutions to increase farm productivity, modernise supply chains and create novel high-value products. We believe that impact is achieved when opportunities are sustainably commercialised.

GrainInnovate (Grains Research and Development Corporation and Artesian) – GrainInnovate is a $50 million VC fund established by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Artesian to invest in startups to help drive the future profitability and sustainability of Australia’s grain growers.

WAGGA WAGGA, AUSTRALIA – Nov. 28th, 2023 –Australian technology company Zetifi extends a unique opportunity to New York farmers and machinery dealers grappling with connectivity challenges. Through funding from Cornell University’s Grow-NY Food & Agriculture competition, Zetifi offers a no-cost trial of their innovative vehicle-mounted connectivity device – the ZetiRover.

Recognised with a US$500k prize in the 2020 Grow-NY competition, Zetifi aims to address Upstate New York’s connectivity hurdles and boost productivity and job creation in the region. The ZetiRover, renowned for its effectiveness in Australia, leverages powerful antennas and multi-carrier technology, merging coverage from multiple carriers to provide reliable Wi-Fi connectivity in areas where cellular phone service would otherwise be unavailable or unreliable. For the US trials, the ZetiRover will be configured to bring in faint coverage from AT&T and Verizon.

In addition, the ZetiRover constantly logs coverage data from both of these networks, generating custom coverage maps illustrating signal strength and other coverage metrics wherever the device has been deployed, empowering users with comprehensive data for informed decision-making.

The ZetiRover has become a trusted connectivity solution for farmers and agricultural service providers right across Australia. On the back of this success the company is looking to expand, with these New York trials being an important first step to gather coverage data and validate that the device can provide the same benefits to US customers.

Rob Lansdown, Commercial Manager at Zetifi, expressed excitement about the trial’s potential impact: “We invite farmers, machinery dealers, and those facing connectivity challenges to trial our innovative ZetiRover. This initiative not only provides access to leading-edge connectivity solutions but also aligns with the objectives of the Grow-NY team to stimulate economic growth and increase the productivity and profitability of the agricultural sector in New York.”

He added, “These trials serve as a crucial step in understanding the ZetiRover’s performance in Upstate New York’s unique conditions before planning a full-scale US market launch.”

Zetifi seeks proactive participants eager to explore the ZetiRover’s capabilities, offering valuable feedback during the trial phase. The company hopes to select five triallists across a range of locations and applications for the ZetiRover. Suitable triallists include individual farmers wanting to use the ZetiRover on their machinery or farm vehicles, or agricultural services companies wishing to trial the ZetiRover on their fleet vehicles to keep their staff connected and productive in more places.

Interested parties should contact Rob Lansdown at rob.lansdown@zetifi.com to express interest or gather more information about this unparalleled opportunity.

For more information about Zetifi, visit https://zetifi.com/

For more information about the ZetiRover, visit https://zetifi.com/zetirover

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Robert Lansdown

Commercial Manager, Zetifi

+61 2 5973 6613  |  +61 448 044 866  | rob.lansdown@zetifi.com

WAGGA WAGGA, AUSTRALIA – April 24th, 2024 – Wagga Wagga-based connectivity company Zetifi has launched the world’s first location-aware smart antennas, revolutionising a product segment stifled of innovation for decades.

This patent-pending invention transforms traditional passive vehicle antennas into active self-optimising devices that are set to play a big role in improving phone coverage, a high priority for people in rural areas as they prepare for the closure of the Telstra 3G network on 30 June.

Zetifi CEO, Dan Winson said, “The 3G shutdown has been on the radar for years and it’s something we need to take seriously. There are a lot of people who will need to upgrade their cellular boosters and antennas to make them work with 4G and 5G.

“From the day we started talking to regional and rural communities about connectivity, the thing we heard most often is they just want their phones to work. There are hundreds of thousands of vehicles in Australia with cellular boosters and our smart antennas provide a better experience for people using them.”

Terrain really makes a difference when it comes to antenna performance. The flat radiation pattern of a high gain antenna is ideal in open country but is less suited to hilly areas where the wider beamwidth of a low gain antenna is more effective.

With traditional antennas you have to compromise on performance or deal with the inconvenience of swapping antenna whips as you move from flat to hilly country.

Zetifi’s revolutionary smart antennas are the first vehicle antennas engineered with an integrated GPS, reconfigurable antenna element, and data processor — allowing them to adapt to the surrounding terrain by automatically switching between high and low gain modes.

An accompanying phone app that connects to the smart antenna via bluetooth is used to load terrain maps to the antennas onboard processor and also allows users to select between automatic switching or manual selection of high or low gain mode.

Designed and manufactured in Wagga, Zetifi’s Smart Antennas are available now. For more information or to purchase, visit zetifi.com/smartantennas.

For more information about Zetifi Smart Antennas, visit https://zetifi.com/smartantennas

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Robert Lansdown

Commercial Manager, Zetifi

+61 2 5973 6613  |  +61 448 044 866  | rob.lansdown@zetifi.com

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WAGGA WAGGA, AUSTRALIA – Sep 10th, 2024 – Thousands of rural Australians that rely on phone signal boosters might once again find themselves without phone service if they don’t check their antennas and booster settings before the 3G network closure on 28 October, according to Wagga Wagga-based connectivity company Zetifi.

An estimated three hundred thousand Australians rely on signal repeater devices, or boosters as they’re commonly called, to extend and improve phone coverage while travelling on regional and remote roads.

While upgrading phone handsets has received the most attention in the leadup to the 3G shutdown, it’s important that users of boosters know that they may also need to update their booster settings to 4G, and check that their current antenna is compatible with the frequencies used by the 4G network.

Zetifi’s CEO Dan Winson explains: “Signal boosters are relied on more than almost any other device to improve phone coverage as people travel around rural Australia. They’re a vital tool for regional businesses and other rural residents to stay safe and productive by being able to make and receive calls in more places.

“Most people don’t give these devices much thought once they’ve been installed but it’s vital that people realise that the 3G shutdown has some consequences for their booster setup.”

Thankfully, all signal repeater devices that have been legally sold in Australia, manufactured by US company Nextivity and marketed as the CEL-FI and Telstra GO Repeater, are capable of boosting 4G once users change their settings to select 4G via the CEL-FI WAVE app.

Unfortunately, the same may not be true for the external antennas that provide the signal to these units. “Up until recently, it was very common for people to lock their devices to boost 3G and as a result, many of the antennas sold with these units were optimised to the frequencies of the 3G network, as boosting 4G was an afterthought,” said Dan.

“It’s difficult to estimate how many people could be impacted so our key message is that if you purchased your antenna more than a couple of years ago and you suddenly have less coverage come 29 October, don’t rush to blame the telcos and the 3G shutdown, as it might be that your antenna isn’t capable of receiving 4G.”

“Everyone with a booster should be checking their vehicle antenna specifications ahead of time and updating their booster settings and antenna if they need to.”

In April this year Zetifi unveiled a revolutionary new Cellular (4G/5G) Smart Antenna that is the world’s first powered vehicle antenna that can automatically switch between high and low gain modes. This innovative product provides a stronger signal for phone boosters and other cellular enabled devices by ensuring that antenna’s gain is always optimised for the surrounding terrain, without users having to manually change the antenna whip as they travel between flat and hilly areas.

For more information about Zetifi Smart Antennas, visit https://zetifi.com/smartantennas

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Robert Lansdown

Commercial Manager, Zetifi

+61 2 5973 6613  |  +61 448 044 866  | rob.lansdown@zetifi.com

A continued partnership between Zetifi and Morse Micro, and commercialisation funding from the NSW Government Physical Sciences Fund, has led to the development of a flexible new connectivity platform for remote area communications through the integration Wi-Fi HaLow, 5G RedCap, Sleepy Wi-Fi power management, and integrated Zetifi Smart Antennas.

LAS VEGAS, NV- Jan 7^th, 2025 – Zetifi has partnered with fellow Australian connectivity company Morse Micro to unveil its newest Wi-Fi HaLow-powered product platform at CES 2025. Their Z1 range of products will simplify coverage extension and enable farmers to consolidate network connections by easily extending a single internet connection to multiple vehicles or fixed infrastructure.

Zetifi’s CEO, Dan Winson, explains that the availability and rapid adoption of low earth orbit satellite options led to the realisation that a new problem had emerged in rural communications, and that the solution was right in the sweet spot for Zetifi and Morse Micro.

“The emergence of low earth orbit satellite networks like Starlink has been a true game-changer, but it has already become a large monthly expense for many regional businesses.

“Even a medium size farming operation could have more than 10 pieces of machinery or sites that all need reliable internet connectivity to run their business effectively.

“As a regionally based company, we quickly learnt from our customers that they were wanting options that allowed them more flexibility and control over these mounting service costs.”

Zetifi’s approach to coverage extension is two-fold; their products allow a single internet connection to be distributed to other vehicles or sites as a Wi-Fi HaLow mesh network, and they extend cellular coverage using powerful integrated antennas that allow cellular or direct-to-handset satellite connectivity when outside of the mesh network footprint.

Morse Micro’s Wi-Fi HaLow, a new long-range Wi-Fi protocol that operates at 900MHz that offers greater range and penetration through obstacles compared to standard Wi-Fi, is a critical part of the equation.

“We set ourselves the goal of making it as easy as possible to achieve the same level of reliability and coverage for these types of operations with only two or three paid network connections. This can represent a saving of over $1,000/month so investing in affordable priced hardware to get more coverage from a service is a compelling value proposition when compared with adding more subscriptions every year,” said Dan.

Zetifi has shifted its focus from its previous X generation products (ZetiRover X and ZetiCell X) to the Z1 platform. While the X series prioritized cellular connectivity, the Z1 range integrates Wi-Fi HaLow, 5G RedCap, Wi-Fi 6, and Zetifi’s patent-pending smart antenna technology to deliver a versatile, low-cost, and easy-to-install connectivity platform.

“The possibilities opened by Starlink’s solutions made it clear we needed to re-evaluate our role in connecting farms.

“Farmers love the idea of having Starlink on their house, and lots of them will use Starlink Mini for their main tractor, but investing in affordable hardware for better coverage is far more practical for farmers than endlessly adding more subscriptions. Discontinuing the development of the ZetiRover X and ZetiCell X to make the most of this opportunity is the right decision,” said Dan.

“The new Z1 platform complements our range of Smart Antennas and aligns with the future direction of LEO satellite and direct-to-handset technologies.”

The Z1 platform will include compact solutions for vehicles and machinery, comparable in size to existing UHF or LTE antennas, as well as larger integrated options for buildings and in-field coverage. Zetifi plans to price the Z1 products at roughly half the cost of the X series.

Zetifi’s prototype ZetiRoam Z1 mesh repeater and ZetiCell Z1 are on display this week in Las Vegas at Tech West at The Venetian, Level 3, Lido 3001 as part of Morse Micro’s presence at CES 2025.

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Media contacts

Robert Lansdown, Commercial Manager, Zetifi   |  +61 448 044 866  | rob.lansdown@zetifi.com

Maggie Redford-Hill, Head of Communications, Morse Micro  |  maggie.gaston@morsemicro.com

Zetifi is an Australian wireless innovator dedicated to connecting remote and rural industries from agriculture and mining to emergency services. More than $10m of Australian Commonwealth and NSW Government funding and a $12M Series A led by Telstra and GrainCorp is supporting Zetifi’s mission to deliver cost-effective, long-range broadband solutions anywhere they’re needed.

Morse Micro develops Wi-Fi HaLow technology, enabling long-range, ultra-low-power networking for industrial IoT, logistics, and agriculture.  Visit Morse Micro’s private suite near the Tech West CES floor at the Venetian Hotel. Learn how the ZetiRover and ZetiCell and Wi-Fi HaLow can modernize farming operations for a more productive and sustainable future.

WAGGA WAGGA, NSW – Feb 12th, 2025 – Wagga Wagga-based connectivity pioneer Zetifi is set to release the first combination UHF and Cellular (4G/5G) Smart Antenna for vehicle bull bars, enabling consumers to run a single antenna for both their UHF CB radio and cellular devices.

Last year, Zetifi unveiled powered location-aware Smart Antennas that use an integrated GPS and miniaturised processor inside the antenna to optimise their radiation pattern between high and low gain based on location, delivering superior cellular coverage. This new product builds on that innovation by using the same rigorously tested physical design and integrated electronics platform with new antenna elements to make a significant impact in the UHF market.

A MAJOR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT IN ANTENNA DESIGN

As Zetifi CEO Dan Winson explains, this product is another major technical achievement for the company and is expected to be well-received by off-roaders and workers in the agriculture, mining and essential services sectors.

Traditional wisdom in antenna design was that combining UHF and cellular antennas in a single unit was not feasible. However, as Winson points out, this challenge is precisely the kind of problem Zetifi relishes.

“Combining UHF and cellular elements in a same antenna is a significant challenge, but as we’ve shown, it’s not insurmountable. I tasked our engineers with pushing the boundaries of what we could achieve,” says Winson.

He continues, “Through countless iterations of antenna elements which we first evaluated in lab simulations at our Melbourne office before bringing them to test on the roads around our Wagga headquarters, we’ve proven it can be done.”

“We’ve achieved equivalent range to the commonly used UHF CB antennas, about 12-14 kilometres between UHF devices and possibly more in optimal conditions, plus excellent performance on 4G and 5G frequencies for cellular devices,” said Dan.

The key to their success lies in a novel approach: vertically stacking the UHF and cellular elements with a small gap between them.

“It’s well known that UHF and cellular signals can interfere with each other when placed too close. But, due to the shape of the radiation pattern they produce, we’ve managed to achieve the necessary isolation by vertically stacking the two elements within the antenna,” Winson explains.

UHF STILL A CRITICAL TOOL FOR REMOTE AREA COMMUNICATIONS

Winson also highlights that, while satellite options for remote connectivity have recently garnered more attention, UHF remains an essential communication tool for many industries and consumers in Australia.

“UHF is often underappreciated. While new satellite options are fantastic, particularly for high-speed data access, you won’t find truck drivers or serious off-roaders abandoning their UHF radios. UHF is the one trusted method they rely on to communicate with surrounding vehicles, which is crucial when navigating dusty outback roads or rugged 4WD tracks,” Winson says.

This innovative two-in-one antenna offers these UHF devotees the best of both worlds: reliable UHF communication and enhanced cellular coverage. By pairing the antenna with an in-car signal repeater, users can also stay in touch with friends, family, and colleagues that are further afield—all from a single antenna.

WORLD-FIRST INNOVATION DEVELOPED AND MANUFACTURED IN WAGGA WAGGA

Something else that distinguishes Zetifi from many other antenna manufacturers and technology companies is their regional base and manufacturing in Wagga Wagga. It’s something they’re keen to highlight as a key element to their success.

“Our products are all developed, tested, and manufactured in a regional centre, which is a big advantage as it gives us easy access to our key customers and locations where our products are needed.”

“Within ten minutes of our office, there are areas of poor cellular coverage or different terrain to test the product. Plus, there are also plenty of willing locals working in jobs that have them driving through poor coverage areas around the Riverina that are always keen to test our prototypes during development,” Winson adds.

Zetifi’s new UHF & Cellular Combo Smart Antennas will be available in black and matte black versions from Zetifi and dealers around the country for $589 incl GST from Monday 17 February.

For more information about Zetifi Combo Smart Antennas, visit https://zetifi.com/comboantennas

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Media contacts

Robert Lansdown, Commercial Manager, Zetifi   |  +61 448 044 866  | rob.lansdown@zetifi.com

Zetifi is an Australian wireless innovator dedicated to connecting remote and rural industries-from agriculture and mining to emergency services. More than $10m of Australian Commonwealth and NSW Government funding and a $12M Series A led by Telstra and GrainCorp is supporting Zetifi’s mission to deliver cost-effective, long-range broadband solutions anywhere they’re needed.