5G NR Beamformer IC Manufacturers and Vendors

This page lists 5G NR Beamformer IC manufacturers or 5G Beamforming IC vendors, along with part numbers and features of 5G beamformer ICs from popular manufacturers/vendors.

Introduction to 5G NR

5G, or the fifth generation of mobile networks, is an evolution of 4G LTE networks. The specifications for 5G NR (New Radio) are published and managed by the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project). It was standardized with the 38 series release 15 specifications in 2018 as a phase-1 release. The technology supports spectrum below 6 GHz and above 6 GHz (millimeter wave range). 5G NR is a highly scalable network designed for future enhancements, offering lower latency and higher data rates.

About 5G NR Beamforming ICs

5G NR utilizes a large number of antennas according to different MIMO configurations, enabling very high data rates. Beamforming, along with MIMO, helps enhance the coverage and capacity of 5G NR Base Stations (gNBs). In beamforming, instead of sending signals in all directions, the radio device concentrates signals in one direction towards a specific receiver. This reduces signal loss and improves efficiency. This is especially useful when millimeter waves are used for transmission and reception, as they are easily blocked by objects in the path.

5G Beamforming uses various antenna array configurations with 16/32/64/96 dual-polarized antenna elements. Systems based on a large number of antenna elements are referred to as massive MIMO systems. The most common antenna arrays used are 8T8R and 64T64R.

• 8T8R: Refers to 8 transmit and 8 receive antenna elements, totaling 16.
• 64T64R: Refers to 64 transmit and 64 receive antenna elements, totaling 128.

5G NR Beamformer IC Manufacturers

The following table lists popular 5G NR Beamformer IC manufacturers: