Qorvo expands 802.11ax portfolio for broader, faster, lower-cost Wi-Fi

Qorvo Inc of Greensboro, NC, USA (which provides core technologies and RF solutions for mobile, infrastructure and defense applications) has announced an expanded portfolio of 802.11ax products for Wi-Fi gateways, set-top boxes, routers and enterprise access points. The high-efficiency portfolio of integrated modules and advanced filters is said to improve Wi-Fi coverage, enables smaller end-products, and reduces costs for consumers, service providers and manufacturers.

“Qorvo’s advanced solutions are designed to help our customers maximize Wi-Fi capacity and data rates with 802.11ax, while reducing costs,” says Cees Links, general manager of Qorvo’s Wireless Connectivity business unit. “For manufacturers of high-performance Wi-Fi equipment, thermal issues can create significant design delays and additional expense due to the need to add heat sinks and fans. Our high-efficiency portfolio reduces the need for thermal management, helping our customers design smaller, more attractive products without internal fans.”

Qorvo says that its bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filters allow full power output across all Wi-Fi channels, helping consumers receive reliable Wi-Fi service through the entire home. This helps to cut support costs. “About 40% of all operator service calls relate to poor Wi-Fi performance in the home,” Links says. “With improved coverage, operators can reduce expensive truck rolls and service calls, which cost an average of $15-35 in addition to any repeater/extender hardware required,” he adds.

“Every operator is trying to get rid of Wi-Fi dead spots in the home and eliminate the associated customer care and helpdesk costs,” comments Peter White, CEO of Rethink Technology Research. “Any technology that helps this is assured of a good reception in the market.”

802.11ax will greatly increase network capacity by supporting up to eight simultaneous data streams, each delivering up to 1.2 Gbps, to connect many more devices at greater speeds. Qorvo’s broad 802.11ax portfolio includes 2.4GHz and 5GHz front-end modules (FEMs) and BAW filters. The portfolio’s high energy-efficiency FEMs reduce the thermal issues associated with supporting multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) in Wi-Fi equipment, allowing manufacturers to reduce product size and cost. Qorvo says that its BAW band-edge and coexistence filters improve Wi-Fi quality of service and prevent interference with adjacent LTE frequencies.