Qorvo Inc of Greensboro, NC and Hillsboro, OR, USA (which provides core technologies and RF solutions for mobile, infrastructure and aerospace/defense applications) says that its infrastructure solutions have supported more than twenty 5G field trials with global infrastructure providers, representing a milestone in its strategy to support the evolving 5G ecosystem and to help accelerate the deployment of 5G.
In February, Qorvo announced that it had joined the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) as a guest delegate. Qorvo is now a full voting member, advising the standards body on 5G RF solutions. The 5G standard is expected to be released in two phases. Phase 1 (due for completion in 2018) will focus on frequencies below 6GHz and define specifications for a prioritized subset of vertical markets. Phase 2 (due in 2019) will focus on frequencies above 6GHz and define specifications for an expanded list of vertical markets.
"As the leading RF supplier in more than twenty 5G field trials, Qorvo is both a primary enabler and a beneficiary of 5G deployments and the explosive growth in mobile data," says Qorvo's president & CEO Bob Bruggeworth. "With the development of the 5G standard and global allocation of frequency spectrum, we are well positioned to deliver a broad range of 5G connectivity solutions," he believes.
Similar to 4G, the USA is taking a leadership position in the definition and deployment of 5G, with the stated intent of enhancing the digital economy and greatly increasing economic opportunity. On 14 July, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules for wireless broadband operations in frequencies above 24GHz. The proposed 5G frequency spectrum allocations cover licensed access in 28GHz, 37GHz and 39GHz; unlicensed access in 64-71GHz, and shared access in 37-37.6GHz, with all ranges expected to support multiple 5G use cases.
Higher-frequency millimetre-wave (mmW) bands are expected to expand both network capacity and wireless use cases, with theoretical 5G transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s. These mmW bands operate over a significantly shorter range than lower-frequency bands, driving a significant increase in residential and commercial placements of short-range, smaller-cell sites.
Qorvo reckons that it is uniquely positioned to deliver an expanding RF portfolio for both infrastructure and smartphone applications including premium bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filters, gallium nitride (GaN) power amplifiers (PAs), phase shifters, amplifiers, switches, integrated modules and other high-performance RF solutions. "Qorvo's early start in 5G comes from our legacy of mmW work in the defense and aerospace markets and our field-proven mmW radio product line," notes Bruggeworth. "We are using this unique background to aid current 5G field trials, giving us multiple generations of product experience in the higher-frequency bands."
