22 February 2017

Qorvo launches RF front-end portfolio for TD-LTE band-41 Power Class 2 high-performance user equipment

Qorvo Inc of Greensboro, NC, USA (which provides core technologies and RF solutions for mobile, infrastructure and defense applications) has launched a portfolio of RF front ends (RFFEs) for LTE Power Class 2 high-performance user equipment (HPUE). Smartphones incorporating the RFFEs can combine the speed and capacity advantages of high-band spectrum with the coverage advantages of mid-band spectrum, says the firm.

Major mobile network operators using TD-LTE Band 41 (2.5GHz) are requiring Power Class 2 in handsets beginning in 2017 to drive global adoption. High-band spectrum (such as 2.5GHz) carries massive quantities of data at very high speeds but lacks the range of mid- or low-band spectrum. Qorvo says that its Power Class 2 portfolio delivers higher power at the cell edge, optimizing spectral efficiency. Sprint and China Mobile are two of the network operators using Band 41.

"HPUE provides our customers with up to 30% greater 2.5GHz coverage," notes Sprint's chief technology officer Dr John Saw. "Qorvo's HPUE-capable technologies were invaluable in helping us demonstrate its feasibility and drive rapid certification of this new standard," he comments. "Qorvo's RFFE portfolio will help smartphone manufacturers quickly develop devices that will connect to our networks," he adds.

"Thanks to our close collaboration with Sprint, Qorvo will play a key role in the rollout of Power Class 2 and HPUE," says Eric Creviston, president of Qorvo's Mobile Products group. "This important new standard will help meet the ever-growing demand for mobile data as we transition to higher frequency bands on the road to 5G."

Qorvo says that its proprietary bulk acoustic wave (BAW) technology and high-efficiency power amplifiers (PAs) make it possible for high frequency bands to transmit data with equal or better performance than lower frequency bands. The firm's HPUE portfolio includes RF Fusion modules for flagship phones and RF Flex modules for mid-tier phones. Two new RF Fusion additions include the compact QM75001H (which reduces board area by 35% and supports both envelope tracking and carrier aggregation) and the highly integrated QM78068 (which incorporates an additional antenna switch and an ultra-high-performance BAW-based Band 7 PA/duplexer). The RF Flex addition is the QM56022 (which integrates high-, mid- and low-band multi-mode PAs packaged in the most popular footprint for mid-tier phones).

Qorvo is showcasing its portfolio of RF front-end solutions in booth 2i25 (Hall 2) at the GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC 2017) in Barcelona, Spain (27 February – 2 March).

Tags: Qorvo

Visit: www.mobileworldcongress.com

Visit: www.qorvo.com