Gallium Nitride – A Critical Technology For 5G

By David Schnaufer and Bror Peterson, Qorvo

While today’s carrier networks are better than previous generations, providers have a lot of ground to cover to reach the goals promised with 5G technology. In addition to being “greener” for the environment, 5G has goals of 1 ms latency, 100 x network energy efficiency, 20 Gbps peak data rates, and 10 Mps/m² area traffic capabilities. So, how do we achieve the RF chain 5G objectives and meet ‘green’ network goals? This article discusses how RF Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology can be used to the advantage of emerging 5G technologies.