Broadcom's new chip could bring 150 Mbps mobile broadband to your phone or tablet
Just because phones and tablets are now taking advantage of fast LTE networks doesn't mean we can't get ready for the next big thing. That's exactly what Broadcom is doing.
Context & Ripple Effects
Broadcom has been moving wireless connectivity into mobile silicon for years, from its earlier 3G-on-a-chip effort to a smartphone 802.11ac Wi-Fi chip aimed at gigabit-class local networking. The 150 Mbps mobile-broadband chip extends that strategy from faster Wi-Fi to the cellular connection in phones and tablets.
First-order effects
- Broadcom adds a higher-speed cellular component for handset and tablet makers designing products around mobile broadband connections of up to 150 Mbps.
- Device makers can pair faster cellular access with the Wi-Fi capability Broadcom had already targeted for smartphones, rather than treating each connection as a separate performance tier.
Second-order effects
- Broadcom's wireless portfolio becomes more relevant to OEMs whose devices need to move video and other high-bandwidth traffic between cellular and home or local Wi-Fi networks.
- Competing connectivity-chip suppliers face pressure to match not only cellular peak-speed claims but also the breadth of wireless functions available to mobile-device designers.
Third-order effects
- If handset makers adopt higher-throughput cellular and Wi-Fi components together, mobile connectivity competition shifts toward integrated radio portfolios rather than standalone network interfaces.
- The pattern points to mobile hardware being designed around seamless movement between cellular and Wi-Fi access, with chip vendors competing on how much of that connection stack they can supply.
The trend: Mobile connectivity silicon is progressing from basic integrated radios toward higher-bandwidth cellular and Wi-Fi components built for the same phone and tablet workloads.