A distributed comb tapped multiband antenna structure includes a PIFA-like antenna radiator having tap structures, and a counterpoise to the antenna radiator, wherein the tap structures include shunt connections to the counterpoise. A second antenna radiator is collinear and opposing the antenna radiator while sharing the counterpoise in common with the antenna radiator, such that the antenna structure is configured as a balanced dipole. The antenna structure can be contained internally within a single device housing and can operate over multiple frequency bands. The antenna provides high performance over a considerable bandwidth within each of the multiple frequency bands of operation, even where the frequency bands are not harmonically related.