Skip to main content

Wireless LAN Semiconductor Market Upside

The worldwide Wireless LAN (WLAN) semiconductor market is expected to pass the $4 billion mark by 2012 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.8 percent.

While PCs will remain the largest application segment for WLAN semiconductors, mobile phone applications will grow at a CAGR of 49.3 percent and become the second-largest category for WLAN semiconductor revenue by 2012.

IDC expects the MIMO-enhanced 802.11n technology to be the next growth driver for this market as the higher throughput and range provide a great opportunity for new applications and usage models.

"The need for connectivity and connected mobile clients continues to fuel the WLAN semiconductor market," said Ajit Deosthali, research manager for Short Range Wireless Semiconductors at IDC.

"WLAN adoption is set to grow beyond notebook PC and into the mobile phone and consumer electronics devices."

Key findings include the following:

- WiFi is set to take off in mobile handsets with dual-mode phones that provide both conventional cellular and WLAN connectivity.

- Connectivity is the fastest-growing segment for semiconductor companies, with WLAN leading the way. Mobile handsets and mobile internet devices will lead integration of WiFi radio with other radio technologies such as Bluetooth, FM, and GPS for personal area networks.

Popular posts from this blog

Rise of Software-Defined LEO Satellites

From my vantage point, few areas are evolving as rapidly and with such profound implications as the space sector. For decades, satellites were essentially fixed hardware – powerful, expensive, but ultimately immutable once launched. That paradigm is undergoing a transition driven by Software-Defined Satellites (SDS). A recent market study by ABI Research underscores this transition, painting a picture of technological advancement and a fundamental reshaping of global connectivity, security, and national interests. LEO SDS Market Development The core concept behind SDS is deceptively simple yet revolutionary: decouple the satellite's capabilities from its physical hardware. Instead of launching a satellite designed for a single, fixed purpose (like broadcasting specific frequencies to a specific region), SDS allows operators to modify, upgrade, and reconfigure a satellite's functions after it's in orbit, primarily through software updates. The ABI Research report highlights ...