US : TriQuint Semiconductor released its ‘Global Handset Strategy’ today for addressing broad market trends in new generations of wireless phones. New TriQuint products enabling the company’s strategy will premier at the 2007 GSM World Congress in Barcelona, Spain (12th-15th February). These products support the latest ultra-modern, advanced multimedia devices as well as handsets for emerging entry-level markets.
TriQuint Vice President for Handsets, Tim Dunn, said, “The company is building on its successful shipment of more than 150 million highly-integrated RF front-end modules to create a new generation of advanced products to meet the changing needs of a truly global communications marketplace.”
Dunn added, “We call it our ‘Global Handset Strategy’ because the evolution of wireless communications is not exclusively in one market segment; it’s growing in many ways, fulfilling multiple needs in diverse global markets. For some, the future is untethered high-data-rate multimedia handsets operating over WEDGE networks. Others see a future that includes the advent of basic communications for the first time as cellular service becomes pervasive across the globe. Many view the inclusion of short-range connectivity capabilities such as Bluetooth® and WiFi inside handsets as a priority. Regardless the vision or how it’s achieved, TriQuint supports its customers with a portfolio of fully optimized, world-class RF front-end products.”
“TriQuint’s 2007 GSM product releases build on a very successful 2006," said Dunn. “With the rapid deployment of both EDGE and WCDMA systems, our product portfolio is growing to include not just more EDGE modules, but the highly-integrated products our customers need to support ultra-compact system solutions for WEDGE in 3G handsets, PDAs and data cards. Additionally, TriQuint is also providing our customers with highly-integrated components such as Transmit (Tx) modules for entry-level dual-band handsets and products for handset connectivity capabilities such as Bluetooth® and WiFi.”
TriQuint is uniquely able to meet the needs of an evolving global wireless market because its broad in-house technology portfolio is designed to maximize efficiency between front-end modules, free-up space for added multimedia features and speed manufacturing for GSM/EDGE, WCDMA and CDMA handsets. This technology portfolio is the power behind its products and includes gallium arsenide (GaAs HBT & pHEMT) for switches and power amplifiers, as well as surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) for filtering. TriQuint modules are fully optimized to leading transceiver designs and enable its handset customers to create feature-packed, slim-line wireless devices that excite consumer purchasing and satisfy even the most rigorous business demands.
Commenting on the growth of advanced networks, Dunn noted that according to the GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association), in January of 2006 there were 100 WCDMA networks operating in 42 countries. Less than one year later in Q4 2006, the GSA reports nearly 50% network growth: 141 WCDMA operators in 62 countries, while EDGE operators grew to 156 in 92 countries, with 78 of those operators in 54 countries having deployed combined WCDMA-EDGE (WEDGE) networks. “These figures show consumers are drawn to higher data rates; however, since 3G handsets are more complex, the first models tended to be bigger and bulkier. TriQuint continues to drive-down module size, not only enabling small phones, but also creating space for sought-after multimedia applications and connectivity features that consumers favor,” said Dunn.
Only TriQuint Semiconductor has the in-house process technologies, design skills and cooperative relationships with key transceiver and handset makers to optimize every front-end element along the transmit / receive chain. This enables its customers to create phones that satisfy consumer aesthetic and high-bandwidth demands while addressing the needs of a global communications economy.
See TriQuint’s new GSM/GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA and Bluetooth® system solutions along with its line of Network and CDMA products at the GSM World Congress in Barcelona, Spain (12th-15th February) in Hall 2, Level 1, Space D22, or contact a local sales representative for more information.
