The 5G RF chip and module industry continues to evolve around the split between sub-6-GHz and mmWave signal chains, the increasing demand for more integration in front-end modules (FEMs), and the growing use of gallium nitride (GaN) power amplifiers (PAs).
Meanwhile, RF digital front ends (DFEs) are integrating functions that were previously handled by analog parts. Front-end architectures are beginning to include Frequency Range 3 (FR3), AI, and early 6G interoperability as 5G-Advanced is rolled out. Additionally, Reduced Capability (RedCap), specified in 3GPP Release 17, and fixed wireless access (FWA) modules are now commercially available. In this article, we walk through these developments and see what this means for design decisions.
DFEs ease design
The use of DFEs is a major architectural revolution. Thus, some of the signal conditioning once handled by discrete RF and analog components has been transferred to DFE ICs, particularly in the case of massive MIMO base stations.
Broadcom announced a DFE system-on-chip (SoC), BroadPeak, featuring 32 differential transceivers, 32 differential receivers, and eight feedback receivers (32T32R8FB) for the 400-MHz to 8.5-GHz frequency band. The BCM85021 SoC is fabricated in an advanced CMOS process and integrates the DFE and high-linearity data converters with the analog front end on the same chip. The company claims to deliver up to 40% more efficiency than current solutions for massive MIMO and remote radio head applications.
The SoC combines carrier aggregation, digital predistortion (DPD), crest factor reduction (CFR), digital up-conversion (DUC) and down-conversion (DDC), and channel filtering in a single chip, reducing the number of discrete blocks needed to implement a radio unit. This SoC is a promising candidate for massive MIMO, where, following the deployment of 32T32R and 64T64R systems, extended architectures such as 128T128R arrays and extremely large antenna arrays with hundreds of radiating elements have been introduced.
Analog Devices Inc.’s (ADI’s) RadioVerse SoC series takes a similar approach but is more transceiver-centric. The ADRV9040 is part of the ADRV904x SoC family and integrates wideband RF transceivers and a DFE into one package that supports 4G/5G cellular, macro, and massive MIMO radios.
The SoC includes 8T8R and two differential observation receivers, 400 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth, and a fully integrated DFE engine with DPD, carrier DUC, carrier DDC, and CFR. These features significantly reduce the FPGA resources and the SerDes lane rate, as less data needs to be exchanged with external FPGAs.
The device (Figure 1) is based on ADI’s Zero IF (ZiF), a zero-intermediate-frequency (or homodyne) architecture. Its direct-conversion transceiver is specifically designed for the wide bandwidth and dynamic range required by multi-carrier base stations.
FR3: a bridge to 6G
As global 5G moves into the 5G-Advanced (5.5G/Release 18) maturity phase, RF system architects and vendors are turning their attention to the FR3 spectrum. FR3, also referred to as the “upper midband,” is sandwiched between the sub-6-GHz (FR1) and mmWave (FR2) bands. It is already on the 5G-Advanced roadmap and will be a building block for future 6G networks.
FR3 is the band defined by 3GPP between 7.125 GHz and 24.25 GHz. The main advantage of FR3 for 5G-Advanced networks is the capacity expansion in the mid-band without the propagation constraints of conventional mmWave. Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and Keysight Technologies have already successfully tested the end-to-end interoperability and data connection operating in the FR3 band.
Keysight also showcased the characterization process of an FR3 front end (RFFE) from ADI at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025. The RFFE characterization process includes measuring key performance indicators, such as gain, linearity, noise figure, and impedance matching, across a range of frequencies and power levels. This is necessary to verify the design specifications of wireless communication systems using the hardware.
Sivers Semiconductors announced the Daybreak 7- to 15-GHz beamforming chip family for 5G/6G FR3 applications. In 2024, Sivers received $6 million from the U.S. Department of Defense for the Microelectronics Commons 5G/6G project. The chips are being developed in cooperation with Raytheon and Ericsson. According to Sivers, the chips offer high transmission power and efficiency, as well as low receiver noise. The new ICs integrate easily with external RFFE modules.
At MWC 2026, Skyworks Solutions Inc. and MediaTek demonstrated a reference design based on Skyworks’ SKYR60002, an FR3 low-noise amplifier module with integrated filtering from 6.425 GHz to more than 7 GHz. The company said the SKYR60002 module provides high linearity, wide bandwidth, and good thermal management to meet the demanding requirements of the 3GPP FR3 standard. The announcement also featured a Power Class 1 4G/5G ultra-high-band module for MediaTek-based platforms used in FWA and broadband infrastructure. The SKY58287-11 FEM features a package that dissipates heat without a separate heat sink.
As the deployment of frequency bands for FR3 is still undergoing standardization and regulations, the first deployment is expected to be in the frequency range of 7.125 GHz to 8.4 GHz. The main use cases are extended reality (XR), robotics, non-terrestrial networks, and AI-enabled applications.
GaN is still the PA of choice
The PA is an important element of any radio unit, and GaN remains the technology of choice for high-power, high-efficiency base station applications. The demand for lower power consumption and smaller physical size has spurred innovation in PA design, with an emphasis on broadband performance and ease of implementation.
For example, Ampleon added the high-efficiency 70-W GaN Doherty transistor C5H3440N70D to its 5G RF portfolio. This device is targeted for next-generation massive MIMO base stations and is designed for the 3.4- to 4.0-GHz band. Efficiency, linearity, and output power are the main characteristics that will make the RF engineer appreciate this device.
In normal operating conditions, the GaN Doherty transistor gives an average output power of 39.8 dBm, with a drain efficiency above 50% and a gain of about 12.7 dB. This combination results in a higher power density in the design of the amplifier, which directly influences overall energy efficiency and the cooling demands of the system.
The device is optimized for broadband Doherty operation, allowing multi-band and multi-carrier deployments without extensive redesign. Its effective DPD capability meets linearity requirements for modern, high peak-to-average-ratio signals. The built-in internal matching simplifies the implementation from a design point of view, reduces the external component count, and speeds up the development cycle.
RedCap 5G reaches maturity
In 2018, Qualcomm launched its modem-to-antenna strategy that combines the baseband modem chip, RF transceiver, and front end into a single, qualified system. This architecture has powered a number of premium products, such as the Snapdragon X75 and AI-enabled Snapdragon X80 5G modem-RF system.
RedCap modules use a similar approach. A 5G RedCap device has a simpler radio design and modem and works on narrower bandwidths than regular 5G, making it suited for mid-speed IoT applications. RedCap modules based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X35 platform are now commercially available, after early sampling.
Quectel Wireless Solutions has announced the RG255C-GL, a compact 5G sub-6-GHz RedCap module in the M.2 form factor (Figure 2). The module is compliant with 3GPP Release 17 and provides a theoretical downlink peak data rate of 223 Mbits/s and 123 Mbits/s in the uplink. The module supports LTE Cat 4 and 5G sub-6-GHz standalone mode and is backward-compatible to Release 15 and Release 16 networks. To cover North American frequencies, the RG255C-NA option has been developed in addition to the global RG255C-GL version.
At MWC 2026, UNISOC (Shanghai) Technologies Co. Ltd. and Quectel announced a collaboration to integrate UNISOC’s 5G eMBB V620, V610, and 5G RedCap V527 platforms into a new series of Quectel 5G modules. They will provide a second-source alternative to the Qualcomm solution that powers the RedCap modules.
RedCap has become an attractive solution for engineers designing industrial sensors, surveillance cameras, or wearables that don’t need eMBB-class throughput but do need lower cost and power than a full-5G modem. It also offers second-source competition.
AI-enabled RF modems
Chipmakers are incorporating AI and machine-learning accelerators into RF modems to control real-time signal conditions, dynamic impedance matching, and predictive power scaling.
One example is the Qualcomm X105 5G Modem-RF platform. Figure 3 shows the X105 platform, the industry’s first modem ready for 3GPP Release 19, which opens the door for initial 6G deployment and testing. The platform is built around an RF transceiver on the most advanced 6-nm node process. Qualcomm claims it has reduced power by as much as 30% and the overall board footprint by 15% over previous generations.
The system has an on-chip agentic AI processor that dynamically classifies network traffic and adjusts RF front-end parameters in real time. This software-defined, hardware-accelerated approach is critical to achieve multi-gigabit throughput in 5G-Advanced and early 6G testbeds.
The Qualcomm X105 is an R19-ready modem-RF that targets 5G-Advanced applications including smartphones, FWA, mobile broadband, automotive, XR, PCs, robotics, and industrial IoT.
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