In an exclusive interaction with EFY’s Nidhi Agarwal, Qorvo’s Suma Kapilavai shares how rising data demands, AI integration, and evolving wireless standards are shaping the next generation of RF infrastructure.
Q. What are the biggest technology trends shaping wireless infrastructure today?
A. The biggest driver is the need for more data and faster access speeds. We’ve seen cellular networks evolve from 2G to 5G, with 6G now on the horizon. With every generation, newer and higher frequency bands are being introduced to provide wider bandwidth and meet growing capacity demands. That, in turn, is making radio front ends more complex. In 5G, for example, we’ve seen the widespread adoption of massive MIMO, where RF content has increased significantly with 32- or 64-element antenna arrays. Ultimately, these trends are all being driven by the need to support growing data demands across a wide range of applications.
Q. How do you see AI changing the design and operation of future wireless networks?
A. AI and machine learning will play a significant role in optimising wireless networks, particularly in areas such as traffic management, channel optimisation, connectivity, and baseband processing. AI is expected to become a core part of network evolution As we move towards 6G. That said, at the RF level, AI won’t replace the fundamental building blocks such as power amplifiers, low-noise amplifiers, and other signal conditioning components. Instead, it will drive the need for wider frequency coverage and greater data-handling capability across the RF front end. As networks become more data-intensive, RF infrastructure will have to support these growing demands, and that’s where we’re developing the technologies and building blocks needed for the next generation of wireless networks.
Q. What are the key RF design requirements for modern 5G infrastructure?
A. Modern 5G infrastructure requires RF front ends that support wider bandwidths, higher frequencies, and different spectrum allocations across global markets. At the same time, they must maintain high linearity, low noise, strong power handling, and long-term reliability. As networks become more complex, there is also increasing demand for compact designs, lower power consumption, and higher integration to simplify radio architectures and reduce deployment costs.
Q. What design challenges are associated with massive MIMO architectures?
A. Massive MIMO systems use large antenna arrays—typically 32 or more antenna elements—which greatly increases the amount of RF hardware required compared to conventional radios. This creates challenges in reducing size, weight, power consumption, and heat while maintaining signal quality and efficiency. To address these requirements, RF front-end solutions need high efficiency, wide frequency coverage, strong linearity, and long-term reliability. These capabilities help support beamforming and ensure the performance needed for high-capacity 5G networks.
Q. What advancements can improve the efficiency of massive MIMO deployments?
A. Improving efficiency is always a key objective in wireless infrastructure, and one approach widely used in current 5G networks is the adoption of Doherty amplifier architecture for RF front-end power amplifiers. This architecture enables high efficiency while maintaining output ruggedness, allowing the power amplifier to handle signal mismatches and meet the demanding power requirements of 5G systems. It also helps maintain the linearity needed for highly modulated signals used in 5G communication. Doherty-based power amplifiers have become a widely adopted solution in 5G base stations because they provide a balance between efficiency, power delivery, and performance requirements.
Q. What role do Qorvo’s solutions play in enabling massive MIMO and beamforming for 5G networks?
A. Qorvo has supported 5G massive MIMO deployments since the early stages of 5G by providing RF front-end solutions for both sub-6 GHz (FR1) and millimetre-wave (FR2) networks. Our portfolio includes beamforming solutions for 5G mmWave applications, enabling different radio architectures. As the industry moves towards 6G and emerging frequency bands such as FR3 (6–20 GHz), we are also developing technologies to support these future requirements.
Q. How can engineering approaches reduce 5G deployment costs while maintaining performance?
A. The overall deployment cost depends on several decisions made by original technology manufacturers (OTMs), but Qorvo can support customers by simplifying the RF design process. We provide reference designs for complete RF front ends, including external circuit requirements, which customers can adopt and integrate into their systems. Our application support teams also work closely with customers on front-end architecture, line-up budgeting, and component selection to ensure the right balance between performance and cost. By providing integrated solutions, design guidance, and technical support, we help reduce the complexity and effort involved in developing systems such as massive MIMO radios while maintaining the required performance levels.
Q. What lessons from global 5G deployments are relevant for India’s infrastructure growth?
A. One of the biggest advantages is that 5G is based on common 3GPP standards, allowing India to benefit from the experience gained in markets such as the US, Europe, and China. Many proven design approaches and deployment practices can be applied directly, helping accelerate network rollout and improve reliability. As networks expand, lessons around energy-efficient infrastructure, optimized RF performance, and simplified network architecture will continue to support long-term growth.
Q. What factors are important when adapting 5G technologies for the Indian market?
A. Cost, deployment scale, and compact infrastructure are key considerations in India, particularly in densely populated urban areas. As one of the world’s fastest-growing 5G markets, India requires solutions that can deliver reliable performance while meeting cost targets for large-scale deployments. We have been working with several customers in India and look forward to strengthening those partnerships as the country’s 5G ecosystem continues to expand.
Q. How is India’s 5G deployment evolving compared to other global markets?
A. India has already allocated spectrum in the sub-6 GHz bands, and while deployments have started, there is still significant room for expansion. We already have a broad portfolio to support these networks and continue to engage with customers in the region. We also see growing interest in millimetre-wave spectrum, particularly in the 26 GHz band. While large-scale deployments have been slower because of deployment costs and return on investment, we’re seeing strong momentum in fixed wireless access, where millimetre-wave can deliver broadband connectivity more efficiently. That is creating opportunities for both our Wi-Fi portfolio and our millimetre-wave beamformer technologies. As adoption of both sub-6 GHz and millimetre-wave 5G grows, we believe our existing portfolio is well positioned to support India’s evolving network requirements.
Q. How does Qorvo address India’s specific requirements for 5G deployments?
A. India’s 5G rollout is primarily based on the sub-6 GHz spectrum, including the N77 band, which is already supported by Qorvo’s existing portfolio. Our wideband, highly integrated RF solutions simplify hardware design by reducing component count while maintaining performance. These solutions also support high-volume manufacturing, enabling equipment makers to build networks more efficiently and bring products to market faster.
Q. Why is Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology preferred for RF switches in defence and aerospace applications?
A. SOI technology offers a good balance of performance, scalability, and cost efficiency, which makes it suitable for modern RF applications. Qorvo has a long-standing relationship with silicon foundries globally and works closely to develop RF solutions that cover a wide range of frequencies. SOI enables compact designs while providing the benefits of semiconductor manufacturing scale, allowing us to deliver competitive solutions without compromising performance. This combination of size, efficiency, and capability makes SOI a strong fit for applications where factors such as size, weight, power, and cost are important considerations.
Q. What are the challenges in designing RF switches that operate across wide frequency ranges?
A. One of the biggest challenges is achieving good impedance matching across multiple octaves of frequency while maintaining consistent RF performance. Meeting these requirements often increases circuit complexity, which can lead to larger die sizes and higher manufacturing costs. In some applications with extremely stringent RF performance requirements, these trade-offs are acceptable. However, for commercial applications, it is equally important to balance performance with cost and size. With these RF switches, the focus has been on achieving wideband performance in a compact, affordable design without compromising key parameters such as isolation and overall RF performance, making them suitable for high-volume commercial deployments.
Q. What innovations in RF switching are enabling next-generation communication systems?
A. RF switches are now being developed using multiple semiconductor technologies, each suited to different application requirements. Gallium arsenide (GaAs) continues to be used where high RF performance is needed, while silicon-on-insulator (SOI) has become a preferred choice for many commercial applications because of its cost advantages and scalability. For applications requiring high power handling, such as tens or even hundreds of watts, gallium nitride (GaN)-based switches provide the necessary performance. Other technologies, including MEMS and PIN diode switches, are also used depending on the specific use case. Each technology offers different trade-offs, and Qorvo develops solutions across these platforms to address a broad range of communication and RF system requirements.
Q. How do modern RF switches simplify RF system design across different applications?
A. Modern RF switches simplify RF system design by combining wideband operation, high isolation, and compact integration in a single device. This reduces component count, saves board space, improves signal integrity, and allows a single solution to support multiple frequency bands across different applications. At Qorvo, our latest infrastructure RF switch family (such as the QPC 6122, QPC 6144 and QPC 6188) is built on SOI technology and provides absorptive switching from 50 MHz to 12 GHz in compact SPDT and SP4T configurations. One of these switches, QPC 6144, offers more than 65 dB of isolation, enabling functions such as signal feedback and linearisation in dense 5G systems without the need to cascade multiple switches, which reduces circuit complexity. Beyond cellular infrastructure, these switches are also suitable for industrial systems, private wireless networks, SDR-based drones, wireless tracking systems, and test equipment, where wide frequency coverage and reliable RF performance are essential.
Q. Could you briefly introduce Qorvo’s technology portfolio and its core strengths?
A. We are a technology company with expertise in RF and power technologies, serving markets such as commercial cellular infrastructure, mobile handsets, customer premises equipment (CPE), IoT, Wi-Fi, connectivity, and power management. We also have a strong presence in defence and aerospace. Our strengths come from our RF expertise, in-house foundry capabilities, and manufacturing experience, which enable us to develop solutions across these applications and expand into new product areas.
Q. How do Qorvo’s RF front-end modules improve 5G base station efficiency?
A. We address these requirements through our RF front-end portfolio, built using our in-house GaAs and GaN technologies along with silicon where appropriate. Our receive modules integrate multiple functions, including high-power switches and low-noise amplifiers, into a single package while supporting multiple frequency bands. This allows customers to use the same module across different radio variants and regions, reducing board space and signal losses. On the transmit side, our wideband pre-drivers, gain blocks, digital step attenuators, and power amplifiers are designed for high linearity and efficiency, helping improve overall 5G radio performance.
Q. What challenges arise when integrating multiple RF functions into a single module?
A. The biggest challenge is achieving a high level of integration without compromising reliability or performance, especially for infrastructure applications. We address this through advanced packaging technologies such as LGA, multi-chip modules (MCM), and chip-on-chip architectures with die stacking, which allow us to integrate more functionality into a smaller footprint, such as the QPB 9850 or the QPA9862. It’s important not only in space-constrained applications like handsets but also in 5G infrastructure, where radios continue to become denser and require greater functionality within a compact design.
Q. What innovations are shaping RF solutions for the next phase of 5G networks?
A. Much of the innovation in 5G today is centred on 5G Advanced (5G-A), which serves as a bridge towards 6G. One of the key developments is support for new spectrum in the 6–7 GHz range, including the N104 band, which has been allocated for 5G use in certain regions. As the industry prepares for deployments in these higher frequency bands, new RF technologies and products are being developed to support them. Qorvo already has solutions targeting these frequencies and continues to expand its portfolio to address the evolving requirements of 5G Advanced. As these networks are rolled out, they are expected to drive the next generation of RF innovation ahead of the transition to 6G.
Q. What RF innovations are likely to shape the future of wireless infrastructure?
A. Future RF innovation will largely be driven by evolving 3GPP standards as the industry moves towards 6G. Those standards will define the radio architecture, which in turn determines the RF technologies and components required. One clear trend is the continued expansion of massive MIMO, with antenna arrays expected to grow from today’s 32 or 64 elements to 128 or even 256. That will significantly increase the RF content in each radio, creating new challenges in thermal management, performance, reliability, weight, and system integration. At the same time, AI is expected to become central to 6G, influencing how hardware and network intelligence work together. We’re already investing in R&D at both the circuit and device levels to address these next-generation requirements.
