Wireless infrastructure is seen as a growing market for gallium arsenide ICs

According to market strategy research firm StrategyAnalytics, the market for gallium arsenide (GaAs) semiconductors used in global wireless network infrastructure is expected to grow from approximately $205 million in 2011 to approximately $320 million in 2015.

As mobile data consumption continues to soar, operators are improving their wireless infrastructure network architecture to support growing data demands, according to the Strategy Analytics (Boston) report. The company’s latest report on the GaAs and compound semiconductor market forecasts like the development of multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, heterogeneous networks, remote wireless and small units will increase the number of base station departments, but need to be from each Departments reduce transmission power. Both trends will bring consistent growth rates for GaAs devices, according to the Strategy Analytics report.

In StrategyAnalytics’ strategic technology practice director, AsifAnwa said in a statement: “4G technologies, such as LTE, are forcing the network to evolve into a large number of low-power infrastructure sectors, which will increase the opportunities for GaAs amplifiers.”

The StrategyAnalytics report predicts that the base station unit shipments will increase to slightly more than 9.2 million by 2015. More than half of these departments will be used for low power, small units, according to forecasts.

"Mobile data consumption is rapidly driving a turning point in the wireless infrastructure market," Eric Higham, director of technical services for GaAs and compound semiconductors at StrategyAnalytics, said in a statement. "Operators implement networks that rely on smaller, lower power battery footprints to ensure that consumers continue to welcome data applications. This architecture extends the opportunities for gallium arsenide components."

The report also details the history and latest developments in antennas, power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, transceivers, and front-end components, StrategyAnalytics said. It also segments the wireless infrastructure amplifier market by function and technology, predicting the number of base station departments based on geography, frequency and output power.