Carillon Will Present New Satellite Array in Boston
The company's ReflecTek design targets lower-cost, simplified satellite terminals for the broadband market.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Telecommunications
Live Poll
Do you believe widespread access to satellite broadband justifies the development of new antenna technologies?
Carillon Technologies will showcase its ReflecTek satellite array architecture at the 2026 IEEE International Phased Array Symposium, scheduled for October 19-22 in Boston. This research-stage technology utilizes liquid crystal and standard printed circuit board processes to steer satellite signals.
Why it matters
The development aims to reduce the complexity, power usage, and cost of electronically steerable satellite terminals. These improvements could expand the addressable $100 billion annual satellite broadband and direct-to-device market.
ReflecTek functions by embedding liquid crystals directly into standard printed circuit boards to eliminate the need for costly MMICs and varactors. This architecture avoids lossy distribution networks and element-level amplifiers to steer satellite beams.
The players
Carillon Technologies
A developer of satellite communication hardware specializing in beam-steering architectures and optical phased arrays.
Dr. Milad Alemohammad
A researcher presenting technical advancements in optical phased array technologies at the upcoming symposium.
The details
The design achieves beam steering by manipulating liquid crystal phase shifters integrated directly into the circuit board manufacturing process. By removing element-level amplifiers and discrete passive components—small parts that store or release energy—the architecture reduces the hardware overhead typically required for satellite links. The system is designed for potential extensibility into higher V-band and E-band frequencies.
Timeline
March 2023 marked the initial demonstration of the Darpana optical phased array technology.
Carillon Technologies unveiled its OTenna technology at the 2026 SPIE Photonics West.
The 2026 IEEE International Phased Array Symposium takes place in Boston from October 19-22, 2026.
The Tech Race
Carillon is expanding its portfolio of steerable hardware, moving from the OTenna technology shown earlier this year toward this new ReflecTek architecture. The work follows the firm's earlier Darpana optical phased array demonstration as it seeks to scale terminal capabilities.
The architecture is currently in the research stage and not yet available in consumer hardware. Future iterations aiming for higher frequency bands like V-band and E-band may eventually lower costs for satellite broadband services used by individual and enterprise subscribers.
The takeaway
Carillon is iterating on hardware designs to move away from the high costs of traditional electronically steerable arrays. Watch for follow-up technical papers or field test results following the IEEE symposium to verify if the architecture maintains performance levels at higher frequency bands.
What happens next
The ReflecTek architecture will be presented during the IEEE International Phased Array Symposium held from October 19-22, 2026, in Boston.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Telecommunications to understand how beam-steering advancements shape global connectivity.
Live Poll
Do you believe widespread access to satellite broadband justifies the development of new antenna technologies?
