RF power semiconductors for wireless infrastructure (for <4GHz and >3W) was over a US$1 billion business for 2018. The segment was essentially revenue flat, but Gallium Nitride (GaN) continues to make inroads into this segment.

“Gallium Nitride should continue to gain share over the next few years,” noted ABI Research Director Lance Wilson. “It bridges the gap between two older technologies, exhibiting the high-frequency performance of Gallium Arsenide combined with the power handling capabilities of Silicon LDMOS. It is now a mainstream technology which has achieved measurable market share and, in the future, will capture a significant part of the market.”

The wireless infrastructure sub-segment while representing about two-thirds of total RF power device sales has been anemic recently but is still holding its own.

The eventual deployment of 5G also offers an upside for the wireless Infrastructure segment. The main issue is one of timing on a large-scale rollout. Wilson also added, “the business environment for the RF power semiconductor device business has become more complex with potential trade tariffs, merger and acquisition troubles and other similar issues clouding the market”.

These findings are from ABI Research’s RF Power Semiconductor Devices for Mobile Wireless Infrastructure report. These reports are part of the company’s 5G & Mobile Network Infrastructureresearch service, which includes research, data, and Executive Foresights.