GCT Semiconductor announces new WiMAX 2 (802.16m) 4G single-chip with 4x4 MIMO system

SAN JOSE, USA: GCT Semiconductor Inc. (GCT), a leading designer and supplier of 4G solutions to the global market, announced a new WiMAX 2 (IEEE 802.16m) single-chip, GDM7225, integrating RF, MAC and PHY into a single-chip.

This new highly integrated monolithic WiMAX 2 single-chip offers a 4x4 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system, enabling high-speed wireless broadband communications four to five times faster than existing WiMAX technology. GDM7225 allows for higher data rates and provides backward compatibility with existing 16e mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) requirements. With this new WiMAX 2 single-chip, GCT is collaborating with UQ Communications Inc. in Japan to enhance their 4G WiMAX network to the next level of performance.

“As the demand for wireless broadband continues to grow exponentially, UQ Communications Inc. is committed to advancing and improving our mobile WiMAX capacity in order to offer our users a superior experience,” said Akio Nozaka, president of UQ Communications Inc. “Our cooperation with GCT enables us to take full advantage of the potential of mobile WiMAX 2 in Japan.”

“We believe WiMAX 2 is the natural next generation option for WiMAX operators to improve network performance cost-effectively and enhance the user-experience,” said Dr. Kyeongho “KH” Lee, president and CEO of GCT Semiconductor. “Our new WiMAX 2 single-chip will power the terminal devices needed by operators that are upgrading their networks. The announcement of GDM7225 today demonstrates our continuing efforts to advance the 4G ecosystem and provide market-proven 4G SoC solutions to our WiMAX and LTE customers.”

GDM7225 features a complete transceiver that supports full coverage of the 2GHz WiMAX band in Japan and other countries, and offers the world’s first 4x4 MIMO performance enabled by four independent RF receivers. With GCT’s proprietary MIMO modem technology, GDM7225 enables performance at speeds of up to 150 Mbps downlink and 50 Mbps uplink, based on device specifications. In addition, GDM7225 supports multicarrier operation (10MHz + 10MHz) up to 20MHz bandwidth. With its advanced features and high data rate, GDM7225 is designed to serve the growing demands of the WiMAX broadband market.