Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1442865
| 26 | GaN on SiC Paves the Way for 5G Wolfspeed, A Cree Company The telecommunications industry is responsible for connecting billions of people and millions of businesses across the globe. With the advent of data communications enabled by 4G LTE technology, there has been an explosion of communications services that have made cellphones and mobile networks ubiquitous throughout the developed world. The next generation of telecommunications technology, 5G, promises to bring another revolution of connectivity services that extend beyond calls, texts, and simple internet and could usher in the real information age. New technologies are needed to deliver the throughput and reliability necessary to realize these new applications' requirements. Part of the issue with achieving this next level of connectivity is the cost and complexity of transmitting and receiving quality RF signals at higher frequencies while serving a magnitude or more of additional user devices in the same area. Two critical enabling technologies that can help address these challenges are gallium-nitride-on-silicon-carbide (GaN- on-SiC) power amplifiers and massive multi-input multi-output (mMIMO) antennas. This article aims to provide readers with a background of the changes in requirements and design challenges associated with upgrading services and base stations from 4G to 5G-ready and 5G technology. It will detail and explain how mMIMO antennas are the new normal and that new communication technologies, such as GaN-on-SiC power amplifiers, are essential in deploying 5G services that meet the 3GPP specifications and with users' growing expectations. Many might think that now that the 5G rollout has begun, 4G technology is on its way out. There is still a market for 4G technology, including laterally-diffused metal-oxide- semiconductor (LDMOS) power amplifiers for 4G cellular bands. However, the buildout of 5G services will also require new technologies and new approaches to meet the 5G expectations of hundreds of megabits per second (Mbps) of throughput in highly congested areas while enhancing reliability and reducing latency. Planning for large-scale 5G rollouts involves the installation of small cells that are much more 5G base station trends