Broadcom Introduces Industry's Smallest 4G LTE-Advanced Modem for Smartphone and Tablet Market

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 12, 2013  /PRNewswire/ --

News Highlights:

• 28nm 4G LTE modem with integrated radio and cellular baseband reduces board area by approximately 35 percent
• Solution supports all 3GPP standards technologies including 4G LTE-Advanced with carrier aggregation, HSPA+, TD-SCDMA and EDGE/GSM
• Integrated IMS/VoLTE capability allows operators to deploy HD voice and other advanced features
• Carrier aggregation enables operators to combine frequency bands and deliver peak 4G LTE speeds  

Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today introduced the industry's smallest 4G LTE-Advanced modem. Designed for the 4G LTE market, Broadcom's multi-mode, multi-band solution – the BCM21892 – delivers the features, power and performance capabilities for the development of next generation 4G LTE smartphones and tablets. Broadcom will showcase its 4G LTE innovations at the upcoming Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, February 25-28. For more news, visit Broadcom's Newsroom.

Compliant with all 3GPP specifications, the BCM21892 combines a full-featured cellular baseband with a world-band radio in a footprint that is approximately 35 percent smaller than current industry solutions. Advanced power management techniques save up to 25 percent of the power typically consumed during data transmissions to the network. The new modem also supports LTE Category 4 speeds of 150Mbps[1], operates in any 3GPP network and performs seamless hand-offs between the various 4G LTE, 3G and 2G interface technologies. 

"Broadcom's new 4G LTE modem combined with our Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC technologies gives OEMs all the communications technologies needed to build advanced devices that will offer consumers the features, speed and functionality they demand in their next smartphone purchase," said Robert A. Rango, Broadcom Executive Vice President and General Manager, Mobile and Wireless Group.  "Broadcom's 4G LTE modem will also help carriers drive new 4G LTE features, such as carrier aggregation, into commercial networks." 

According to Peter Cooney, ABI Research, "4G LTE coverage is clearly seen as a competitive differentiator by carriers to meet consumer demand for better performance, and as network rollouts accelerate worldwide, manufacturers are responding with products for these markets. Based on its success in executing and integrating baseband processors, Broadcom is well positioned to deliver the latest mobile broadband technologies for these next generation devices."

To support operators' evolution to 4G LTE networks, the BCM21892 features the following:

• A baseband with support for all current 3GPP standards technologies including LTE FDD and TDD, LTE-Advanced with carrier aggregation, HSPA+, TD-SCDMA and EDGE/GSM.
• An integrated world-band radio that can support virtually any designated 3GPP LTE frequency band and combination, a critical capability as operators prepare their networks for 4G LTE roaming. The radio also deploys advanced power management techniques that can save up to 25 percent of the power typically used when sending data to the network.
• A Voice over LTE (VoLTE) solution that enables high-definition voice calls over a mobile broadband connection – a key requirement of operators as they transition from legacy networks. Broadcom's VoLTE service consumes approximately 40 percent less power than a comparable WCDMA voice call.
• Enhanced interoperability with Broadcom's wireless coexistence technology, which minimizes the possibility of radio interference between Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 4G LTE, and enables carriers to provide a richer Wi-Fi offload experience.
• Ability to interface with a broad range of stand-alone applications processors, allowing OEMs to design the 4G LTE solution into a wide variety of mobile devices.  

  Availability:

BCM21892 is now sampling to early access customers, with anticipated production in 2014. 

For ongoing news, visit Broadcom's Newsroom, read the B-Connected Blog, or visit Facebook or Twitter. And to stay connected, subscribe to Broadcom's RSS Feed.

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a FORTUNE 500® company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments.  With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and embedded software solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by Connecting everything®.  For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.

Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

All statements included or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our business and industry, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, references to our ability to offer OEMs the technologies needed to build advanced smartphone devices, the demand for 4G LTE network products, and the timing and volume production of the BCM21892. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom in connection with Broadcom's 4G LTE modem include, but are not limited to the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt 4G LTE technology; competitive pressures and other factors such as the availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products, and trends in the mobile and wireless markets in various geographic regions, including seasonality in sales and consumer products into which our products are incorporated.

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss the important risk factors that could contribute to such differences or otherwise affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. The forward-looking statements used in this release speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement to reflect future events or circumstances.

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[1] LTE Category 4 speeds of 150Mbps in 20MHz of spectrum or through carrier aggregation of multiple smaller spectrum bands

SOURCE Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Mobile & Wireless