{"id":41019,"date":"2019-04-09T09:45:03","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T01:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/investpenang.gov.my\/penang-a-hub-for-5g-rf-chip-production\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T17:25:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T09:25:44","slug":"penang-a-hub-for-5g-rf-chip-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/investpenang.gov.my\/zh-hans\/penang-a-hub-for-5g-rf-chip-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Penang \u2013 A hub for 5G RF chip production"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” el_class=”sec-inner-banner” css=”.vc_custom_1703741584745{background-image: url(https:\/\/investpenang.gov.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/contact-banner-bg.jpg?id=20253) !important;}” z_index=””][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” el_class=”inner-banner-row”][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Penang – A hub for 5G RF chip production<\/h1>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”normal” el_class=”red-separator” color=”#ee4023″ transparency=”1″ thickness=”2″ up=”15″ down=”15″][vc_column_text css=”” el_class=”white-text”]<\/p>\n

9 April 2019<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css=”.vc_custom_1703764846254{background-color: #f3f5f8 !important;}” z_index=””][vc_column el_class=”fade-in animate”][vc_empty_space height=”120px” el_class=”height-x120″][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner][vc_single_image image=”28823″ img_size=”full” qode_css_animation=”” el_class=”single-featured-image”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”60px” el_class=”height-x60″][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” el_class=”content-row”][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]PENANG is one of a handful of manufacturing sites in Asia with a 5G (fifth-generation mobile networks) radio frequency (RF) chip production facility.\u00a0And the state has become an important production site for Mini-Circuits Technologies (Malaysia), a subsidiary of New York-based Scientific Component.<\/p>\n

It is now producing one million 5G RF chips a month for use in 5G telecommunication base stations worldwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started 5G RF chip production in 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan is to increase the output to between 40 million and 50 million units in three years, depending on how fast telcos worldwide are able to implement 5G base stations,\u201d says Datuk Seri Kelvin Kiew, president and chief executive officer of Mini-Circuits.<\/p>\n

In Penang, Mini-Circuits produces 5G mmWave and sub-6 GHZ chips.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is the fuss over 5G?<\/p>\n

\u201cIn layman\u2019s terms, 5G, the successor to 4G, is 100 times faster than 4G, with speeds that reach 10 gigabits per second.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis would let consumers download a full-length high-definition movie in seconds.<\/p>\n

\u201c5G will have enhanced bandwidth, allowing it to accommodate the \u2018Internet of Things\u2019 (IoT) such as smart refrigerators to traffic lights to dog collars, enabling them to transmit and receive data.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe potential benefits to 5G are vast for both businesses and consumers \u2013 for the former, the additional capacity and speed should allow for greater mobile working whilst for consumers, the speed should offer additional benefits within the ability of your smartphone. 5G is also crucial to the full implementation of AI (artificial intelligence) worldwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, a business using a 5G network would mean employees can video conference from any location whilst for consumers, 5G could allow you to download a film to your smartphone in under a second,\u201d Kiew says.<\/p>\n

Penang is an important manufacturing site for Mini-Circuits, contributing about 10% of the 5G RF chips \u2013 valued at about US$350mil \u2013 to be shipped out by the group over the next few years.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe value of the 5G RF chips shipped out from Penang is estimated to be about US$80mil for 2019, of which, about half of the amount is for the China market,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

In the initial phase, the sub-6 GHZ application will dominate production, as it provides reasonable bandwidth speed and wider coverage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the subsequent phase, the mmWave will be used in areas where there is a need for multi-gigabit communication services.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe objective with mmWave is to increase the data bandwidth available over smaller, densely populated areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be a key part of 5G in many cities, powering data in sports stadiums, malls, and convention centres, as well as basically anywhere that data congestion might be a problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cOut in rural towns and villages, sub-6 GHz and low bands below 2 GHz will probably play a more crucial role in ensuring consistent coverage,\u201d Kiew says.<\/p>\n

A problem with mmWave is that the signal cannot penetrate walls.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, the mmWave will leverage the support from 5G base stations to bounce around until a decent signal is transmitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it rains, the signal will be impacted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur manufacturing site worldwide, including Penang, will work on improving both the mmWave and sub-6 GHZ band RF modules to overcome the limitations,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

According to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) forecast, by 2025, there will be 1.2 billion 5G connections worldwide, with 5G networks covering almost 40% of the global population.<\/p>\n

Asia Pacific will account for more than half of these, or 675 million 5G connections, by 2025.<\/p>\n

But when will 5G become a reality?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first 5G compatible phones will become available in the middle of this year, but consumers will not initially notice vastly faster speeds because 5G coverage will be limited to certain cities or neighbourhoods at first.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnalysts predict it will be at least a couple of years before the network\u2019s reach will be extensive enough to let you use your 5G phone without relying on current wireless standards most of the time,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a record year in 2018 shipping over US$400mil worth of RF products that includes filters, power splitters, and amplifiers.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowth in 2019 will be between 5% and 10%, impacted by the trade war and the overall slow down in the handheld products.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Malaysia facility is expected to ship US$150mil worth of RF products in 2019,\u201d Kiew concludes.<\/p>\n

Source:\u00a0The Star Online<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo Credit: The Star[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”120px” el_class=”height-x120″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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