Broadcom has launched a new dual-band combo chip for smartphones and tablets, which supports 5G Wi-Fi (802.11ac), alongside a new Open Network Function Virtualization (NFV) platform.
The 2×2 Multi In Multi Out (MIMO) chip, dubbed BCM4354, comes with Bluetooth (BT) 4.1/BLE, and Rezence wireless charging.
Broadcom said that device manufacturers can now deliver twice the Wi-Fi performance of 1×1 MIMO devices sold on the market today, and reduce power consumption by as much as 25 percent.
The chipmaker’s new SoC features its Transmit Beamforming (TxBF) technology that allows smartphone users in congested environments to upload photos and videos to social websites twice as fast as 1×1 MIMO devices.
There is also a version of the chip that supports Rezence wireless power charging technology, which was developed by the Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP).
Broadcom has not specified when the chip would formally go under production. However, last night Samsung said the Galaxy S5 would be the first smartphone to support 802.11ac with MIMO.
Bob Rango, Executive Vice President and GM, Mobile and Wireless Group said: “The innovations we’re demonstrating this year further underscore our ability to do just that, wirelessly. From LTE to 5G Wi-Fi, Broadcom continues to prove its ability to drive innovation.”
Meanwhile, in a separate announcement, the chipmaker unveiled its Open Network Function Virtualization (NFV) platform, which according to the chipmaker, is designed to accelerate NFV adoption by allowing implementation of applications across multiple system-on-a-chip processor solutions based on diverse Instruction Set Architectures.
The NFV platform will allow OEMs and ecosystem vendors to migrate virtual functions between platforms based on various vendor solutions.
Broadcom said that a proof of concept demonstrating a live VF state migration between multiple ISAs has been approved by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute NFV Industry Specification Group will be demonstrated at MWC this week.