RF and microwave content of the future will be focused on 5G, smart devices, and other innovations to enable highly digital front end solutions.

FREMONT, CA: Technology innovation will evolve at a faster pace in the future. This has been particularly true as RF and microwave technology becomes ubiquitous in daily life. Radio Frequency (RF) technology and microwave is critical to many aspects of modern electronics. It’s incredible how far the world has come in such a short time, and there is no sign of the demand for advanced RF and microwave technologies slowing down. Here are the current and future trends enabling the industry to stay ahead of the curve.

• Defense Electronics

One of the critical drivers of RF and microwave is the defense electronics sector, and this trend will continue in the coming years. Continued efforts to upgrade technical capabilities will stoke RF and microwave growth. Activities such as the defense innovation initiatives and electronic resurgence initiatives are investing in technology advancements to ensure continued military preparedness, and this is forecast to drive long-term growth in the RF industry. Communications, missile defense, electronic surveillance, and countermeasure systems and space-based electronics have all been identified as critical areas of investment, and all have significant RF and microwave concepts ingrained in their design.

• Smartphone

Another factor driving the growth of RF and microwave industry is smartphones that require products that are substantially different from what other end markets in RF and microwave need. Smartphones have become more sophisticated and needed to support more frequency bands ever, and this complexity has been mounted. Above this, smartphones demand higher levels of integration. Another factor driving this industry is the high unit volumes associated with smartphone chips. Smartphone chip suppliers scale up large factories to meet these volume demands. Also, smartphone chip providers must continuously be upgrading the performance of their process technologies to remain competitive in the market.

• 5G

As 5G continues to evolve in relevance, everyone from component manufacturers to service providers will be forced to revamp their costs and respective business models. 5G promises improvements in data capacity; however, it comes at the expense of added equipment complexity and higher prices. Technology companies that design and manufacturer RF and microwave components will play a critical part in adopting the new 5G standards and ensuring these devices cope with networks. New 5G modeling software will allow RF and microwave companies to test designs and simulations to reduce costs further.

One of the essential things affecting the RF and microwave industry today is the march of digital technology. The RF firms which adapt to the trends of digitization and learn how to interact with the digital domain will be the key players in the industry.

See also: Top Defense Technology Companies