Mobile experts predict 80% growth in semiconductors for small cells in 2015

Date: 05/12/2013
Mobile experts have predicted 80% growth in semiconductors for small cell base station in 2015

As part of its 114 page market study Mobile Experts has covered detailed analysis of Semiconductors for Small Cells. Mobile experts finds there is large-scale deployment of small cells in Korea and Japan, which has taken into account in making its latest report, to fully understand the capacity and cost implications of small cells in a dense urban network.

Joe Madden, Principal Analyst at Mobile Experts explained, "We have seen solid large-scale use of small cells by carriers in South Korea, taking the basic technology of femtocells, but using the small cells in an indoor hotspot environment where the mobile traffic density is extremely high. With over 100,000 units deployed so far in Korea, the operators have significantly boosted capacity at a cost much lower than equivalent macro capacity."

"Mobile Experts has interviewed more than 30 mobile operators, as well as every supplier of Systems-On-Chip (SoCs), transceivers, linearization, and power amplifiers, as well as several filter and crystal oscillator suppliers. We include all types of small cells discussed on the market (microcells, picocells, metrocells, femtocells, nanocells, and others) as well as low power Remote Radio Heads (RRH) and in-between systems such as the Ericsson Radio Dot. Our comprehensive market surveys are time consuming, but they are fundamental to the creation of an accurate forecast."

"MIMO, Carrier Aggregation, and multimode small cells are driving a rapid increase in semiconductor content. The small cell market will grow quickly through 2018, but the supporting semiconductor market will grow even faster. In particular, the average prices of SoCs will increase over the next five years, as volume shifts from low-cost residential applications to high-value carrier applications."

small cell