Although operators would agree that ongoing testing through the duration of an antenna’s life is preferable, it doesn’t always happen for a number of reasons, and this comes down to the testing process. Historically, in-field testing hasn’t been a viable option because it involved significant resource investment to build housing for test equipment, and even then, tests would’ve likely been subject to constraints not experienced by a designated testing facility. This is why antenna testing has instead generally been carried out at testing facilities.
However, to do this requires the antenna to be transported to and from the facility which can be a logistically complex and costly operation. Added to that, there is also the potential for downtime while the antenna is being tested, which can incur further costs. So, given the cost, time and effort associated with testing, it’s not surprising that many operators take a reactive approach over a proactive approach. This may have been acceptable in the past when both sky and ground segments were less complex, but this is rapidly changing, and it’s becoming increasingly important to identify degradation before issues arise, both at operator and industry level.
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