SCOTTSDALE, USA: The penetration of high-powered RF integrated circuits into the mobile wireless base station market has surpassed even ABI Research’s optimistic forecasts of last year.

“The level of penetration of high-powered RFICs into the mobile wireless base station market right now exceeds what most observers would ever suspect,” says research director Lance Wilson. “It is a major force in the device market for base stations. These parts are shipping in the millions. The accepted wisdom about high-power RFICs simply no longer applies.”

Over the past several years this new breed of high-powered RFICs, primarily geared for use in base stations for cellular and other wireless infrastructure, has been quietly grabbing significant market share, and will continue to do so at an increasing pace. The enthusiastic adoption of these ICs is due to three factors. Compared to the discrete devices they can replace, high-power RFICs are smaller; they are easier to use; and they cost the same or slightly less.

This is a remarkably consolidated market. Between them, the three largest vendors have over 95 percent market share. In fact, cautions Wilson, “One major supplier controls so much of the RF high power amplifier RFIC market that there is a risk of permanent market distortion.”