press release

Fujikura Ltd. (Director, President and CEO: Okada Naoki) has announced that it has partnered with the US-based GlobalFoundries Inc. (hereinafter GF) to accelerate the introduction of its 28 GHz millimeter wave phased array antenna module (PAAM) for 5G base stations, “FutureAccess™,” into the 5G network (both mobile wireless access: MWA and fixed wireless access: FWA) market.

Fujikura has a proven track record of delivering a variety of high performance products including Optcal Fiber cables to the telecommunications market (fixed and mobile business operators worldwide). Now, Fujikura is further expanding its reach by entering the field of advanced 5G millimeter wave module products.
This 5G millimeter wave module is the result of several years of in-house research and development and strategy collaboration with leading companies in the industry. The FutureAccess™ roadmap includes the development and commercialization of dedicated 5G millimeter wave modules for all frequency bands licensed to telecommunication business providers.

Recently, several major global business have announced aggressive plans to deploy 5G networks for both MBB (Mobile Broadband) and FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) use cases, especially in the US market where 5G FWA continues to gain market share over incumbent wired broadband connections.
Meanwhile, the global supply chain is facing unprecedented challenges due to not only COVID-19 but also geopolitical issues. In this environment, device manufacturers are being called upon to build strong strategy partnerships that will ensure a stable supply chain that is less susceptible to uncertainty in order to adequately support their customers in deploying 5G networks.

To meet this demand, Fujikura has partnered with GF to commercialize 5G millimeter wave products, establishing a system that will enable it to steadily provide customers with high-quality products. The RF-ICs used in Fujikura's PAAM will be manufacturing at GF's US factory using the company's high-performance SiGe RF process technology.

Kenji Nishide, General Manager of Fujikura's Electronic Application Technology R&D Center, had this to say about the partnership:
"Fujikura's PAAM is highly integrated, so for commercialization it was important to manufacturing at a foundry with the best RF process technology to achieve the highest overall levels of cost, performance, and quality/reliability. Our partnership with GF embodies this, allowing Fujikura to benefit from GF's advanced SiGe process technology and extensive manufacturing experience of mmWave products. As a result, Fujikura's PAAM is a product that meets high standards for both low noise and high output performance."

"GF is committed to providing a unified, scalable and cost-effective solution to our growing network of customers," said Peter Rabbeni, vice president of Mobile and Wireless Infrastructure at GF. "GF is committed to providing a unified, cost-effective solution to our customers."
"GlobalFoundries has strategy invested in advanced RF process technologies to provide our customers with both the manufacturing quality and volume production capabilities they need to commercialize their products."

Fujikura's "FutureAccess™" will begin offering evaluation samples to some customers from May 2022. Evaluation boards will also be made available in due course.
For more information on the performance of "FutureAccess™", please visit the dedicated website for the product (https://mmwavetech.fujikura.jp/ja/5g/ ).

・ About Fujikura Ltd.
Since its founding in 1885, Fujikura has been providing highly reliable products and services in the four business fields of energy, information and communications, electronics, and automotive electronics through the "Tsunagu" technology it has cultivated in the field of wires and cables.
Currently, we are working on the millimeter-wave wireless communication field as a new business, and we are developing millimeter-wave devices in the 28 GHz and 60 GHz bands by making full use of "phased array antenna design technology," "flexible printed circuit board manufacturing technology," and "electromagnetic field analysis technology."
For more information, please visit the following websites:
Corporate site: https://www.fujikura.co.jp/
Millimeter Wave Product Site: https://mmwavetech.fujikura.jp/ja/

About GlobalFoundries Inc.
GlobalFoundries Inc (GF) is a leading global specialty foundry. GF provides differentiated, feature-rich solutions that enable customer to develop innovative products for high-growth market segments. GF offers a broad range of platforms and capabilities with a unique combination of design and development. With a large manufacturing footprint spanning the US, Europe, and Asia, GF has the flexibility and agility to meet the dynamic needs of customer worldwide.
For more information, please visit the following websites
Corporate website: https://gf.com/