Dawn of Second-Generation Chipsets

The emergence of commercial-grade 5G modules will drive newer industrial use cases and lead to exabyte-level explosion in global data traffic

5G Device outlook Second-generation chipsets will support 5G ramp-up

Interoperability testing of second-generation silicon is now underway in laboratories. With this generation, vendors are working to surpass first-generation launches with more integrated designs, reduced power

consumption, and more frequencies and network operation modes. There has been considerable talk about cellular access cutting the cables for Industry 4.0.

Commercial-grade 5G modules for industrial use cases are expected with the launch of second-generation chipsets. In 2020, we expect growth in the number of fixed wireless devices, with many vendors and models enabling 5G-connected households.

Entering the volume market annual shipments of 5G devices are projected to reach 13 million units by the end of 2019. 5G has clearly outpaced LTE in the number of devices launched during its initial roll-out period. However, 2020 will be a different numbers game. 5G device volumes in 2020 are projected to reach 160 million units, with China expected to massively deploy 5G coverage. In addition, all major vendors will have released a 5G-capable device and a number of vendors are expected to have addressed mid-tier smartphone segments.