TD-SCDMA, China and GSM still lead RF power amplifier and device markets

SCOTTSDALE, USA: Rapid Chinese TD-SCDMA rollouts and the often-maligned GSM/GPRS/EDGE equipment markets have benefited the base station RF power amplifier and RF power device markets. GSM/GPRS/EDGE RFPAs and devices are still shipping in the millions.

The Asia-Pacific region is presently accounting for more than 50 percent of the RF power semiconductor devices sold into the mobile wireless infrastructure segment. Now, according to research director Lance Wilson, “Recent Chinese TD-SCDMA base station deployments have been massive, and have buoyed RF power vendors to a tremendous degree.”

That demand is expected to strengthen the market until at least sometime in 2011, and the Chinese deployments will probably only start to slow in 2012.

In a happy coincidence for equipment vendors, 2011 is the expected time frame for LTE deployments in developed countries to really gather a head of steam. “Although LTE has not significantly impacted RF power amplifier and device sales in the near term,” says Wilson, “it is going to bolster RF power sales in the wireless infrastructure space from about 2011 on.”

Wilson also notes that since the previous edition of ABI Research’s report on this market, there have been some modest changes in the breakdown of market share held by the leading RF power device vendors.