TOKYO, Japan and EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands, October 13, 2020 – NXP® Semiconductors N.V. (NXP; NASDAQ: NXPI) and NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) today announced that NEC selected NXP to supply RF Airfast multi-chip modules to be used in a Massive MIMO 5G antenna Radio Unit (RU) for Rakuten Mobile, one of Japan’s leading mobile network operators.

NEC’s Massive MIMO 5G antenna RU features a 5G open virtual radio access network (vRAN) interface and has been adopted by Rakuten Mobile for its fully virtualized cloud-native mobile network. The RU utilizes extremely accurate digital beam forming for efficient high-capacity transmission and is easy to install as a result of miniaturization achieved through an increased level of circuit integration.

NXP’s new AFSC5G40E38 RF Airfast multi-chip module was developed to meet the frequency and power requirements of Japan’s 5G infrastructure deployment. The device is part of an expanding portfolio of NXP RF Airfast multi-chip modules being developed to enable 5G infrastructure deployments throughout the world. NXP’s RF Airfast multi-chip modules offer a common footprint across frequency and power for different regions, enabling faster time to market for network mobile operators.

NEC teamed up with Rakuten Mobile to develop and manufacture the 5G infrastructure that leverages NXP’s RF Airfast multi-chip modules.

"NXP 5G RF Airfast multi-chip modules support the frequencies and power levels needed for Japan’s 5G infrastructure," said Kazushi Tsuji, Deputy General Manager of NEC’s Wireless Access Solutions Division. "The technology’s flexibility, integration and performance allow us to quickly and effectively develop radio products for 5G infrastructure. We’re pleased to partner with both Rakuten and NXP to drive the 5G experience for end-users."

"At NXP, we always strive for technological leadership," said Paul Hart, Executive Vice President and General Manager of NXP’s Radio Power Division. "This partnership underscores our vision to deliver advanced 5G experiences to countries around the world. NXP’s Airfast multi-chip modules offer high levels of integration, ease of use and performance for 5G infrastructure systems. No matter what frequency band or power."