This has already been an unprecedented year and it is only the beginning of March. Since the first edition of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in 2006, the GSMA has never come close to cancelling an event. However, the GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event. The quarantine of people in China is starting to take effect on global supply chains and Apple announced recently that it would affect iPhone sales and seems to be taking a heavy toll on the German economy. 

While the event will not take place this year, many companies were already touting their new products and demonstrations that would be on display. Therefore, Microwave Journal has collected these from the RF/microwave community and developed the summary below. 

Advanced RF Technologies recently announced its 5G suite of wireless products, including MWR Series mmWave repeaters, ADXD Series digital DAS and mmWave support for ADXV Series DAS. These solutions enable carriers, enterprises and building owners to provide robust 5G in-building wireless connectivity required to support eMBB, Massive IoT,URLLC, and other data-intensive digital applications for buildings of all sizes. Key 5G product highlights include: 

• MWR Series mmWave Repeaters: The first fully-integrated all-in-one mmWave RF repeater brings robust in-building wireless coverage for small to medium size venues, supporting the n261 band (27.5 to ~28.35 GHz) and up to 800 MHz IBW. 

• ADXD Series Digital DAS: ADXD DAS provides a fiber-to-the-edge (FTTX) option to support multi-carrier 4G LTE and 5G high capacity and coverage connectivity needs for in-building networks. The modular and future-proof design transports frequencies from 600 to 3700 MHz on a single hardware layer regardless of protocol or modulation. 

• mmWave Support for ADXV Series DAS: ADRF's flagship DAS improves its best of breed flexibility and modularity to satisfy public safety, enterprise, and carrier needs on a single compact platform with the introduction of modules supporting 5G New Radio (NR) Band n261 (27.5 to ~28.35 GHz). 

Analog Devices and Marvell recently announced a technology collaboration leveraging Marvell’s 5G digital platform and ADI’s wideband RF transceiver technology to deliver fully optimized solutions for 5G base stations. As part of the collaboration, the companies will offer fully-integrated 5G digital front-end ASIC solutions with tightly coupled RF transceivers and will collaborate to develop next-generation radio unit solutions including baseband and RF technology optimized for a diverse set of functional splits and architectures. This is an interesting development and Marvell said they will be supporting beamforming in the future. 

We talked with ADI's VP of Wireless Communications, Joe Barry, about the 5G market - he said that China is being the most aggressive with 5G deployments using sub-6 GHz systems with 32T/32R and 64T/64R mMIMO base stations. They estimate that 600,000-700,000 base stations will be deployed this year offering a great opportunity for RF companies. Japan expects to ramp up in the second half of this year with Korea re-evaluating some of their 5G NSA results before proceeding. The mid-band auctions in the US are a good thing as the rest of the world is already deploying in the 3.5 GHz bands so we need to catch up there. He also commented that O-RAN is being accepted by the industry so equipment will become interoperable between suppliers so wireless providers are not locked into a custom configuration with one supplier.

Anritsu Corporation launched Anritsu Web Exhibition, a dedicated online event to demonstrate Anritsu’s leading-edge communications measurement solutions due to the cancellation of the event. The Web Exhibition shows Anritsu's latest products for testing, analyzing, monitoring, installing and maintaining communications networks. 5G device and application tests, compliance tests, C-V2X, C-radio access network (RAN), and more are included. Solutions that will be on the Web Exhibition site include: 

• C-V2X Solutions – Anritsu’s 5G V2X solution, developed with dSPACE, for vehicle to network testing using Hardware in the Loop vehicle simulation technology. 

• SmartStudio™ NR – the industry-first state machine-based GUI simulates 5G NR mobile networks, for fast and effective testing and verification of 5G devices. 

• Industry Verticals Application Test Bed – the latest MT8000A 5G network simulator for 5G device/chipset R&D testing is integrated with a Mobile Edge Compute applications server. It provides network slicing capability, allowing the testing of application environments for new industry verticals. 

• 5G Conformance Test – the ME7873x and ME7834x Anritsu conformance test systems have evolved for 5G. The ME7873NR supports RF, Performance and radio resource management conformance testing of 5G NR Standalone (SA) and Non-Standalone (NSA) devices for both sub-6 GHz and mmWave. The ME7834NR system supports protocol conformance testing of 5G NR SA and NSA devices for both sub-6 GHz and mmWave. 

• Field Master Pro™ MS2090A – the leading 5G NR field measurement tool, featuring both advanced 5G demodulation/analysis functions and a Real Time Spectrum Analyzer. 

• MT1000A Network Master™ Pro – a portable, easy-to-use test solution with 10G, 25G and 100G interfaces, it provides accurate measurement and analysis of critical network performance parameters. These include PTP, timing accuracy and latency, allowing 5G operators to ensure URLLC performance and be confident in the end-to-end quality of service. 

In addition to test and measurement solutions, the Web Exhibition site will have service assurance solutions. 

Antenna Company has developed a unique polymer based dielectric resonator antenna technology in which the antenna impedance bandwidth can be easily tuned in such a way to synthesize a wide- or multi-band frequency response by the combination of DRAs and radiating slots. The antenna array achieves a total radiation efficiency better than 80 percent in the band from 26 to 34 GHz and large scanning angles compared to a conventional half-wavelength spaced patch antenna array. With the advances in material science and manufacturing techniques, DRA technology can become a cost-effective, high performance solution for 5G wireless communications. They were going to demonstrate their array performance live that the event but here is a technical description of the technology in our Feb issue online. 

Wireless infrastructure manufacturer Benetel is a proponent of the OpenRAN initiative started by the Telecom Infrastructure Project and is a contributing member of the O-RAN Alliance. Making the argument for OpenRAN, Benetel CEO Adrian O’Connor says, “OpenRAN fulfills the need of telecoms operators by defining open and standardized interfaces at key points in the path between the antenna and backhaul. As a result, instead of having to provide a monolithic RAN solution, suppliers can work to their strengths and innovate in selected segments of the complete system. Both supplier and operator are then safe in the knowledge that this solution will be compatible with other elements in the system.” Benetel has been sharing the roadmap for the company’s vRAN Remote Radio Unit product family: the release of an OpenRAN product early this year, with rolling releases of indoor and outdoor 5G products throughout the year. 

Cambium Networks was going to announce an expanded collaboration with Facebook’s Terragraph at the event. Facebook’s Terragraph connectivity technology is embedded in Cambium Networks 60 GHz multi-mode wireless software-defined network technology to bring gigabit connectivity to urban areas. Cambium Networks’ solutions provides connectivity from the cloud to the client. The new multi-mode 60 GHz Terragraph enabled wireless mesh solution provides Gigabit speeds at a fraction of the cost and time deploying fiber. This is important because communications service providers will rollout standalone 5G technology, which will require 5G NR equipment and a 5G core network. This will lower costs for CSPs and improve performance for users. 

Expanding its products for 5G, CommScope made several announcements tied to MWC, beginning with new capabilities for indoor coverage with its OneCell small cells. The OneCell family now covers all current sub-6 GHz and mmWave 5G bands: 3.5 GHz, CBRS and C-Band in the U.S., 28 and 39 GHz. The 5G NR baseband has been virtualized and can run on x86-based servers anywhere in the network, and the fronthaul interface is compatible with the O-RAN 7.2x standard. In addition to the enhanced small cell capabilities, CommScope announced narrower width and “zero footprint” antennas to address the challenge of covering more frequency bands while minimizing antenna footprint. Related to this, CommScope also released the M-LOC cluster connector, which enables up to five network connections with a single push-and-lock motion, which reduces the installation time by more than 75 percent. [insert photo] 

Had MWC gone off as planned, Ericsson would have had one of the largest booths in Barcelona, exhibiting the company’s full range of infrastructure products, with marketing and technical staff there to discuss the nuances of each product and, more generally, Ericsson’s push in 5G. Recognizing the company’s contributions to and leadership in 5G, the GSMA awarded Ericsson 2020 Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO) in the Overall Mobile Technology and Best Mobile Technology Breakthrough categories for its dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) technology, what Ericsson calls Ericsson Spectrum Sharing. DSS enables the same spectrum to be used for LTE and 5G, so operators can tap existing spectrum for 5G services without blocking the existing 4G users. The GLOMO judges wrote, ““This is a powerful enabler that will help accelerate the rollout of 5G by maximizing the re-use of existing hardware, thus saving costs while avoiding disruption to customer service and helping to speed time to revenue for both telcos and customers.” 

HUBER+SUHNER announced a new 5G development, that is already being used by Deutsche Telekom, to increase capacity in regional hotspots, create superfast speeds on 4G and 5G, as well as simplify network expansion. Featuring a compact design, the SENCITY Urban 100 & 200 MIMO antennas adopt existing city infrastructure, allowing for widespread and cost-effective deployment of 4G and 5G. The small cell antennas from HUBER+SUHNER can be installed on public telephone boxes, bus stops, walls or lighting installations. Different types of antennas and housings are available to meet specific needs. These include omnidirectional antennas for marketplaces and directional antennas for narrow streets. 

HUBER+SUHNER also planned to showcase its active and passive WDM transport systems, which increase capacity in the fiber optic metro network. These systems are designed for minimal space requirements in available street furniture and offers the simplest installation. The MASTERLINE Ultimate Micro (MLUM) is another component of the small cell solution set, to create new cellular sites in urban areas with a reliable fiber demarcation point. 

Infineon was going to discuss how they are enabling IoT, mobile connectivity and 5G. They planned to how demos of how they are connecting the real and the digital world with our sensing, security and connectivity capabilities. One demo would allow visitors to discover how they are bringing human-like senses to everything – from smart devices and home appliances to robots, machines and building automation systems. All of which is creating more intuitive user experiences and more intelligent industrial automation than ever. Their experts were going to explain how their security-by-design framework and hardware based turnkey solutions help to protect cloud-connected IoT devices in smart homes, cars, factories or smart wearables. And a final demo was going to show how they are powering the transition to the near-limitless possibilities of a gigabit connected society built on 5G and to next-generation cellular IoT and consumer connectivity with our eSIM solutions. Here is a video of their 60 GHz sensing technology.

Keysight was going to offer attendees the opportunity to speak with experts, connect with the industry ecosystem and discover innovative product solutions from their wide array of products: 

Keysight 5G Chipset and Device solutions that enable manufacturers, device makers and C-V2X developers to: 

• Test 5G/Wi-Fi Channel/Network: end-to-end solutions to assess 5G and Wi-Fi device performance under real-world channel conditions. 

• Benchmark 5G Devices: improve device performance between builds, perform benchmarking and troubleshoot found faults efficiently. 

• Perform 5G Cybersecurity Tests: address various security threats by testing devices in an automated manner at frequency range 1 (FR1) for 5G, IoT and MiFi devices. 

• Test Latest C-V2X Designs: test the RF, protocol and application layer of designs and meet 3GPP specification requirements. 

• Certify 5G Devices: accelerate the certification and acceptance process for devices by validating against 3GPP-specified conformance and operator acceptance test cases. 

Keysight 5G Network Buildout solutions that enable network equipment manufacturers, chipset manufacturers and mobile network operators to: 

• Build 5G and Prepare for 6G: perform gNB characterization today and prepare for 6G. 

• Validate 5G Edge-to-Core: emulate all 5G and 4G network elements, to validate complex network environments from UE to core, with real-world scenarios. 

• Evaluate O-RAN Conformance: accelerate the development, conformance and interoperability testing of next-generation radio units (RUs) and distributed units (DUs). 

• Automate & Optimize 5G Testing: automate and optimize manufacturing process to make workflow up to 10 times faster. 

Keysight 5G Network Deployment solutions that enable mobile network operators to: 

• Accelerate 5G Site Acceptance: quickly validate the performance of 5G sites. 

• Field Test 5G over-the-air (OTA) Signals: efficiently perform network commissioning, operation/optimization, and maintenance tasks. 

Keysight Test Lab Management solutions (service and support): 

• KeysightCare redefines best-in-class for customer care in test and measurement, offering dedicated, proactive support through a single point of contact for instruments, software and solutions 

LitePoint planned to demonstrate its test solutions for 5G, Wi-Fi and ultra-wideband (UWB) applications. For 5G, LitePoint offers the IQxstream-5G, which tests the physical layer of multiple devices operating in the sub-6 GHz bands. A companion product, the IQgig-5G, is a fully-integrated test system for all mmWave bands from 23 to 45 GHz — the first system with this coverage according to the company. For Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and low power WLAN technologies, LitePoint offers the IQxel-MW 7G, a fully-integrated tester that covers the new Wi-Fi 6E band, i.e., up to 7.3 GHz. For UWB applications, LitePoint offers the IQgig-UWB, a fully-integrated, single box test system for physical layer testing of the 802.15.4z standard. 

Marvell was going to present their “total compute” processor portfolio of the Fusion, OCTEON and ThunderX product families for 5G infrastructure – from the edge, to the macro base station and to the cloud. All of these products were going to be “in action” at the Arm booth as Marvell was providing a complete 5G networking demo there. The demo was going to be based on the O-RAN definition of the 5G distributed/virtualized network architecture (distributed and centralized units and the NGC – next-gen core) and show the Arm alternative to the Intel architecture. In addition, Marvell’s recent acquisition of Avera gives the company an advantage with ASICs for remote RUs. 

Nokia was one of the first companies to announce it would not be present at MWC this year, perhaps starting the momentum that led to the event’s cancellation. Like Ericsson and Huawei, it would have occupied a major share of the exhibition, necessary to convey its end-to-end offering of network infrastructure, from wireless to optical. Nokia typically held a briefing for analysts and press on Sunday afternoon, prior to the official launch of MWC. Last year, CEO Rajeev Suri spoke of the company’s 5G wins with operators and how well-positioned it was to provide “total solutions” for 5G networks. Nokia appeared to be faring better than Ericsson in securing 5G wins. A year later, Ericsson’s financial performance is recovering, while Nokia is struggling and doesn’t seem to have benefited from the U.S. push to exclude Huawei from 5G. The latest 5G tally of deals, self-reported: Huawei with >91; Ericsson, 81; and Nokia, 68. Rajeev Suri is stepping down as CEO, following reports the company is exploring “strategic options,” always an ominous sign. 

Orbis Systems was going to show off their innovative 5G OTA test solutions. They are launching a compact Sub 6 GHz plane wave solution (WFS, Wave Form Synthesis), directed to performance testing of products with antenna matrixes, where traditional near to far field conversion cannot be done. They also offer stackability and transportability of the systems for more compact deployment and ease of placement. 

Parallel Wireless is another advocate of the OpenRAN initiative and has created a cloud-native and software-based OpenRAN architecture supporting “all Gs” — 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G — on a unified software platform. The company says this approach enables network agility with lower deployment and maintenance costs than traditional solutions, particularly for operators migrating a network from one G to the next. The week prior to when MWC was scheduled to start, Parallel Wireless announced that Etisalat would trial the company’s OpenRAN solution across Etisalat’s markets in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, a region with over 148 million subscribers. 

Peraso Technologies recently announced a family of phased array antennas for the 60 GHz unlicensed band today. The PER-PAx series is designed to integrate with the company’s 802.11ad RFICs to provide customers with improved performance, bandwidth and reliability and reduce system cost, according to Peraso. Features of the antenna solutions include: 

• Low cost design using multi-layer construction, based on fiber-resin substrates and standard process technology — no exotic soft-board or ceramic substrates. 

• Consistent gain over the full 57 to 71 GHz unlicensed frequency band. 

• Air-gap dielectric for increased antenna gain and system performance (PER-PAG models). 

• Support for parabolic reflectors with phased array beam steering to optimize antenna aiming (PER-PAD models). 

• Repeatable performance in volume production. 

• Stable over wide operating temperature range. 

The first version of the PER-PAG series, the PER7213-PAG, contains 64 elements configured in a 2D scanning array and achieves 22 dBi gain across the full unlicensed frequency band. Integrated with Peraso’s X720 60 GHz chipset, the system supports a 1.5 km link without a dish antenna. 

Pivotal Commware was going to discuss U.S. operator mmWave strategy as well as how they are working with organizations in Japan, South Korea and Germany to enable mmWave networks. They were also have multiple demonstrations available, including: 

• The Echo 5G counteracts mmWave reflection loss by pushing the signal through a subscriber’s window glass to gently flood the interior space with Gigabit+ service. 

• The Pivot 5G routes and shapes radio frequency energy around obstacles like buildings and boosts coverage to extend the range of the 5G base station. 

• The Intelligent Beam Management System helps network operators maximize spectral efficiency, capacity and coverage by using software that combines machine learning and HBF to proactively place radio power where and when subscriber demand requires. 

They recently did a live demo using the Echo 5G and Pivot in Downtown Los Angeles to direct a signal from a live mmWave base station to a conference room at the Lux Hotel, where they consistently achieved throughput of 1,000 Mbps indoors with a Samsung phone positioned 15 to 20 feet in line of sight of the Echo 5G. Here is a technical article in our Feb issue outlining their technology. 

pSemi, a Murata company and Murata’s semiconductor division, planned to discuss its RFICs for sub-6 GHz and mmWave infrastructure, 5G mmWave beamforming modules and overall semiconductor and module capabilities. One of the most interesting products is a mmWave antenna-integrated module being jointly developed by pSemi and Murata, where pSemi has designed the MMIC and Murata the LTCC module and antenna. At the fall MWC in Los Angeles, pSemi demonstrated an operational module transmitting a dual-polarized, 256-QAM signal at 28 GHz. The two are developing a similar module for the 39 GHz band. 

Qorvo’s RF Fusion™ 5G portfolio, was recognized by GTI with the 2020 Innovative Breakthrough in Mobile Technology award. The Fusion 5G chipset combines compact, high-performance 5G functionality with quick time to market for leading smartphone manufacturers. Their solution supports all 5G bands and utilizes E-UTRA New Radio Dual-Connectivity (EN-DC) with full standalone operation, including 5G uplink. High reliability and superior performance with the use of their GaAs power amplifiers and BAW filters has allowed Qorvo to enter full-volume production with their 5G portfolio.

Qualcomm has traditionally not been a player in the RF/microwave market mostly playing in the baseband and processor portions of the signal chain. But in the past few years, they have launched a series of RF product taking over the entire radio chain. They just announced the Qualcomm® ultraSAW filter technology that achieves as much as 1 dB improvement in insertion loss making them a higher performance solution compared to competing BAW filters in the sub-2.7 GHz frequency range. Qualcomm ultraSAW technology achieves superior filter characteristics in frequencies from 600 MHz to 2.7 GHz with a range excellent transmit/receive and cross isolation, high frequency selectivity, a Q-factor of up to 5,000 and very low insertion loss. The filters also have excellent temperature stability with very low temperature drift in the single-digit ppm/Kelvin range. 

Qualcomm also just announced the Snapdragon X60 5G Modem-RF System, its third-generation 5G modem-to-antenna solution (the Snapdragon X60). Snapdragon X60 features the first 5-nanometer 5G baseband and is the world’s first 5G Modem-RF System to support spectrum aggregation across all key 5G bands and combinations, including mmWave and sub-6 using FDD and TDD, providing excellent operator flexibility to achieve 5G performance utilizing fragmented spectrum assets. This 5G modem-to-antenna solution is designed to enhance the performance and capacity for operators worldwide while increasing average 5G speeds in mobile devices. Snapdragon X60 is engineered to accelerate network transition to 5G standalone mode through support for any key spectrum band, mode or combination, along with 5G Voice-over-NR (VoNR) capabilities. The Snapdragon X60 also features the new Qualcomm® QTM535 mmWave antenna module, engineered for superior mmWave performance. QTM535, the company’s third-generation 5G mmWave module for mobile, features a more compact design than the previous generation which allows for thinner, sleeker smartphones. 

Resonant is developing a BAW filter technology for mobile front-ends. Named XBAR, Resonant says it offers the high frequency performance of BAW, while being fabricated with standard SAW processes. At the 2019 MWC, Resonant showed initial performance results for an n79/Wi-Fi coexistence filter, tested within days of the event, achieving some 600 MHz bandwidth at 5 GHz and 1.5 dB insertion loss. In the ensuing year, Resonant has improved and extended XBAR performance. A new filter designed to support Wi-Fi 6E demonstrated a 1.1 GHz bandwidth at a 6.5 GHz center frequency, less than 1 dB insertion loss and >40 dB rejection across the lower Wi-Fi band. The broadband capability of XBAR technology makes it usable as a diplexer. Resonant plans to have engineering samples available for evaluation by the middle of the year. [insert figure] 

RFS was going to display modular 5G antennas for small cell and macro sites – allows operators to clip multiple frequencies together like building bricks in one antenna that isn't any bigger than existing 4G equipment and 5G radiating cable for in-tunnel deployments that offers benefit to operators as it has no stopbands working at any 3GPP band up to 3.8GHZ making it completely future-ready and protecting investments. 

Rohde & Schwarz recently released its R&S CMPQ test platform designed especially for 5G NR non-signaling tests in FR2. The customizable R&S CMPQ can be used at any time in the product life cycle – R&D, validation, quality assurance – but is optimized for production testing of FR2 5G devices and components. The test solution consists of the R&S CMP200 radio communication tester, the R&S CMPHEAD30 remote radio heads and the R&S CMQ200 shielding cube. Because Rohde & Schwarz manufactures all system components, they are matched exactly to get a reliable and efficient test setup, ensuring optimal system parameters. 

The R&S CMP200 radio communication tester combines vector signal analyzer and ARB generator functionality. It can generate and analyze IF frequencies from 6 GHz to 20 GHz directly at the output; for higher 5G FR2 frequency ranges, R&S CMPHEAD30 takes over this function. The R&S CMQ200 is a compact, flexible 19" shielding solution that uses a drawer concept enabling automated handling in a manufacturing environment for the frequencies from 20 to 77 GHz. 

Rohde & Schwarz planned booth was going to contain a comprehensive look at its test and measurement portfolio for wireless communications technology and secure networks. Presenting its industry-leading solutions under the slogan “Driven by connection,” Rohde & Schwarz had planned to cover the following topics: 

5G and wireless connectivity testing: The solutions address chipset vendors, mobile device OEMs and base station manufacturers, as well as test houses and certification authorities. The focus would be on 5G signaling and non-signaling testing solutions for FR1 and FR2 and for the product life cycle, starting from R&D, to acceptance and production. Highlights planned to include the combination of the latest state-of-the-art mobile phone tester generation with shielded test chambers for OTA to provide best-in-class performance in all 5G frequency ranges and over temperature. 5G waveform generation and analysis is another area in which Rohde & Schwarz would be exhibiting a wide range of customized solutions for the test of components, modules or integrated systems in development and production of smart phones, IoT devices and base stations. 

Mobile network testing: This display would have been advanced mobile network testing solutions to support 5G network roll out from lab testing to field deployment. The solutions include coverage and performance testing for providing network operators, infrastructure vendors, service providers and telecoms regulators a deep insight into end-user Quality of Experience (QoE). They enable them to make well-informed investment decisions, maximizing the network performance and quality through accurate data acquisition, global-standard methodologies and high-quality data analysis based on machine learning. 

IP network analytics: Application awareness is key to finding performance bottlenecks and to providing insights into data use to improve network performance and security and to optimize policies. To address this, Rohde & Schwarz was going to demonstrate its OEM IP network analytics solutions including its market-leading deep packet inspection engine, its software IP probe and the end-to-end telco analytics solution for full visibility of IP traffic. 

Industry 4.0 network testing: To help achieve reliable and secure a reliable connection, Rohde & Schwarz was going to demonstrate how to best detect radio interference, measure coverage, optimize the network and monitor service quality of industrial networks. 

Automotive connectivity testing: The solutions would have included PC5 Sidelink based C-V2X scenario testing of application layers in a lab environment. The company would also showcase its expertise in network and device testing with automotive dedicated solutions that ensure reliable vehicle connectivity. These applications serve as basis for traffic services in real time as well as future 5G based OTA updates. 

5G Broadcast: Using 5G Broadcast, network operators can offload media and entertainment content from the data network, deliver OTA software and traffic updates, enable live sports and premium content with consistent high Quality-of-Service and higher QoE, using a 60 km cell radius for maximum coverage. This end-to-end solution offers network operators and broadcasters revolutionary opportunities in new business areas while offloading data capacity to create high spectral efficiency and reduced costs. 

Smart connectivity and software-defined WAN (SD-WAN): LANCOM Systems, an independent subsidiary of the Rohde & Schwarz technology group, was going to demonstrate its know-how as a leading vendor of secure, reliable and future-proof networking and firewall solutions. The company was going to display how its SD-WAN solutions made in Germany meet the challenges of digitalization, and which opportunities they offer for IoT, smart cities, eMobility and many other use cases in the context of Wi-Fi 6 and 5G. 

Cybersecurity: The company was going to present solutions for an effective protection of smartphones and tablets with secure access to business resources, centrally managed by an Enterprise Mobility Management/Mobile Device Management (EMM/MDM) system. 

R&S has setup a complete MWC2020 web site with videos and informational content on their solutions at HERE.

Siklu uses the high mm wave E- and V-bands (60 and 70/80 GHz) to provide 5G Gigabit Wireless Access services in urban, suburban and rural areas, as seen in their active participation in Facebook’s Terragraph initiative. Siklu’s wireless solutions are used by leading service providers and system integrators for fixed wireless broadband, smart city, video security, IIoT, Wi-Fi backhaul and other services. In fact, smart city bandwidth demands, driven primarily by HD video, are growing rapidly and Siklu is well-positioned to meet them. Thousands of Siklu carrier-grade systems are delivering interference-free performance worldwide. Easily installed on street-fixtures or rooftops, these radios have been proven to be an ideal solution for networks requiring fast deployment of secure, “wireless fiber.” 

Sivers IMA recently announced that from March to December last year, they shipped more 35 evaluation kits (EVK) to customers addressing several different verticals and use cases. In the first quarter 2019 Sivers IMA had nine design-wins in total, we are now at 16 design-wins, reaching a 20 percent conversion rate from EVK to design-win, after 10 months. In this early design-win development phase we estimate a limited impact on near term revenues. Sivers IMA also recently announced that Cambium Networks has decided to integrate the Sivers IMA TRX BF02 chipset with its wireless network equipment, delivering multi-Gigabit speeds using the 24-29.5 GHz radio frequency band (licensed 5G). The Sivers IMA TRX BF02 chipset is a highly integrated 5G radio transceiver solution including beamforming, power amplifiers, LNA as well as up and down converters. This level of integration is unique in the market and provides a cost-effective solution for system suppliers with fewer components needed. The chipset can be used both in small cells/Access Points, which are typically mounted on radio masts or lamp posts, as well as in the Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) mounted on buildings, which simplifies system integration and rollout. 

Skyworks Solutions recently announced that it is supporting next-generation wireless technologies set forth by Wi-Fi Alliance® and developing advanced connectivity solutions designed to meet future requirements. Skyworks offers a family of solutions that address all existing Wi-Fi® standards and is working in Wi-Fi Alliance to develop its Wi-Fi 6E products that operate in the 5.925 to 7.125 GHz frequency range. As a result of increasing demand for high data applications such as streaming media/TV/audio, social media and smart home devices, there has been an initiative to open up additional frequency bands to complement the existing 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. This new spectrum is expected to be made available by regulators around the world and it represents an opportunity to deliver the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 coupled with increased bandwidth available in the new 6 GHz band. 

Taoglas was going to announce the launch of new machine vision technology. This was going to be demoed onsite by Taoglas co-founded e-scooter tech start-up Luna. Taoglas was going to use Luna to demonstrate how its new machine vision capabilities can be used to provide accurate helmet detection, lane detection & parking detection to the e-scooter market. Armed with both centimeter level accuracy and now AI Vision for helmet, lane and parking detection – Luna will now enter the market with well-rounded, pragmatic solutions to finally help e-scooters become more widely accepted as a safe mode of transport. 

Taoglas also announced eight 5G NR antenna designs to support emerging 5G applications, such as small cells, repeaters, industrial IoT and UAVs. For 5G NR systems at mmWave frequencies, Taoglas has designed and tested numerous array subsystem prototypes using the chipsets from five OEMs, helping resolve some of the most complex antenna design challenges with its RFIC partners. For 5G systems operating below 6 GHz, Taoglas offers more than 40 off-the-shelf products, which can be delivered to any location globally within days. Originally a major antenna and RF tech producer, Taoglas has evolved into a complete IoT provider (hardware, firmware & analytics) having acquired several companies in the last year. 

TMYTEK was going to demonstrate their latest 5G products which include: 

• 5G BBox: An innovative beamforming development kit for all 5G antenna/baseband designers. To implement beamforming needs lots of knowledge, including antenna array, active circuit and control software. 

• 5G UD Box: UD Box (Up-/Down-Converter, 22-44 GHz) is used to bridge the RF and IF domain. Lowering the frequency to IF domain also saves the cost of high frequency cables, connectors and instruments. IF supports frequencies from 0.01 Hz to 14 GHz. 

• XRifle: Design the best deployment strategy by manipulating EM wave with our patented technology would enhance the coverage with ideal costs. 

• XBeam: Traditional positioner-based OTA solutions are slow. TMYTEK-patented XBeam speeds up the OTA test by 20 times and saves 80 percent cost at the same time. 

TowerJazz, now Tower Semiconductor, provides foundry services for “high value analog” applications, including RF. For RF circuits comprising switches, LNAs, PAs and multiple functions, designers can choose SOI or bulk CMOS or SiGe BiCMOS process platforms. Tower Semiconductor uses seven wafer fabs spread around the globe: 150 and 200 mm fabs in Israel; 200 mm in Newport Beach, California and San Antonio, Texas; and two 200 mm and one 300 mm through a partnership with Panasonic Semiconductor in Japan. 

u-blox extended its SARA-R4 family of LTE-M / NB-IoT and EGPRS cellular modules to include variants with the hardware and software features necessary to enable end-to-end security features and services for IoT data, devices and ecosystems. The SARA-R4 series is ideal for a wide range of mission-critical IoT solutions such as connected healthcare, industrial monitoring, point of sale and vending terminals, tracking and telematics devices, as well as smart lighting solutions and building automation. 

VIAVI Solutions introduced the industry’s first comprehensive test suite for O-RAN specifications. Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) is being adopted by operators and equipment manufacturers worldwide, to reduce infrastructure procurement, deployment and operational costs and lower the barrier to entry for new product innovation. VIAVI has developed a comprehensive test suite with modules for lab validation, field deployment and network assurance. This simplifies and reduces deployment test time through automation and use of one tool for many tests. In a multivendor-based O-RAN environment, ensuring interoperability will become the network operator’s principal concern, as they will be responsible for managing advanced coordination features, power control algorithms and intra-technology interactions. The traditional single-vendor network simplifies all that, and when product-related network performance issues inevitably arise, service providers work with only one vendor to resolve them. Other key challenges of a multivendor-based network will be network and resource management, along with integration of new functions and orchestration of new services. VIAVI also launched  a virtual presence here: VIAVI Virtual 5G Experience

Wolfspeed, a Cree company, planned to attend MWC to discuss its GaN on SiC technology for 5G base stations. It’s been almost two years since Cree acquired Infineon’s RF power business, which brought Wolfspeed close relationships with the network equipment manufacturers, as well as Infineon’s legacy LDMOS RF power products. For telecom applications, Wolfspeed now offers 14 GaN on Si discrete, packaged transistors covering the cellular frequency bands from 1.8 to 3.9 GHz, with peak output power from 45 to 450 W. Wolfspeed’s 5G growth has been hurt by the U.S. export ban on shipments to Huawei. In the last reported quarter, ending 29 December 2019, Cree took an $8 million write-off on inventory that was to ship to Huawei. During the earnings call, Cree CFO Neil Reynolds said, “We don't see any opportunity at this time where we will resume shipping any product we currently have on hand to the customer.” 

ZTE Corporation recently announced that a series of new 5G terminal devices including the new generation 5G Smartphone ZTE Axon, diversified 5G MBB products such as 5G CPE, 5G Module it was going to display at the event. In addition, ZTE was also going to introduce the latest ZTE Blade product, as well as other industry-leading technologies, which will give consumers an outlook of a smarter and connected life in the 5G era.