ARM Processor Technology and ARM Partners Continue to Lead in Wireless Connectivity with the Transition to LTE and LTE-Advanced Markets

ARM processors now used in 95% of LTE baseband designs world-wide
Strong legacy in 2.5G and 3G, as well as success in LTE/4G market for ARM Partner Community is reflected in range of devices, news and speeches at Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona
ARM Partner Community voices its opinions on succeeding with ARM in the LTE and LTE-Advanced markets, including Qualcomm, Renesas Mobile, Samsung, Xincomm, Marvell, Cognovo, ST-Ericsson, MediaTek and Broadcom

Mobile World Congress, BARCELONA, SPAIN – 14th February 2011 – ARM and a number of its Partner Community, which includes all the leading silicon vendors in wireless connectivity, today highlighted their ongoing activity in baseband modem designs and momentum in the LTE and LTE-Advanced markets. The group also welcomed the acceleration of LTE / 4G technologies that will provide consumers with improved mobile experience based on the ARM® architecture. Over the last 20 years ARM processors have proven to be almost ubiquitous in 2.5G and 3G handsets, with all current 3G baseband shipments incorporating the technology. ARM processors are now used in 95% of LTE baseband designs world-wide.

For over two decades ARM has worked with its Partners and the mobile ecosystem to predict market trends and drive the formation and evolution of our connected world. The market share of ARM and its Partners in legacy 2.5G and 3G designs, and now in 4G, is a reflection of the ARM ecosystem’s ability to drive market leading solutions by aligning technical expertise and market knowledge. ARM processor leadership in baseband connectivity, including LTE and LTE-Advanced, continues due to this ability to innovate and also deliver the vital backwards compatibility support for 2.5G and 3G in 4G platforms.

“ARM technology has helped drive the 3G era by focusing on low power, high performance solutions for mobile applications,” commented ARM CEO, Warren East, “We are proud to have been part of the mobile ecosystem by leading innovation in mobile technology, as well as helping to develop standards as the industry transitions from 2.5G and 3G to 4G connectivity. We welcome the fact that the industry is now quickly moving to LTE technology, which will significantly enhance user experience. With the combined expertise and knowledge of the ARM Partnership, we will enable a better connected experience using LTE based on ARM technology.”

ARM processors have been developed in-line with progress in semiconductor technology to deliver highly efficient, low power mobile solutions. This is both for applications computing and baseband processing where many of the market leading solutions have converged on the Cortex™ family of processors.

ARM is a leader in mobile baseband technology with a far reaching roadmap of suitable processors and associated technologies. Prior to Mobile World Congress, ARM announced a roadmap of additional Cortex processors that build on the success of the existing Cortex-R4 processor. The new ARM Cortex-R5 and Cortex-R7 processors provide increased functionality, performance and efficiency, and are optimised to deliver new mobile broadband LTE and LTE-Advanced devices.

The ARM Partner Community is made up of leading baseband silicon manufacturers who had the following to say about the LTE market and their relationship with ARM:

QUALCOMM:

“Qualcomm’s multi-mode solution is enabling 4G launches around the globe and we are excited to be working to advance the evolution to 4G,” said Cristiano Amon, senior vice president of product management at Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. “Our ARM based, mobile optimized Snapdragon processors are powering the latest smartphones and tablets entering the marketplace, and we look forward to continued evolution with our next-generation Snapdragon processors integrating LTE and 3G multi-mode.”

RENESAS MOBILE:

“Working closely with ARM has enabled Renesas Mobile to build a series of integrated triple-mode LTE platforms that provide unrivalled connected experiences with the industry's leading graphics and video capabilities combined with the world's most pervasive modem technology,” said Mr Shinichi Yoshioka, Senior Executive Vice President & COO of Renesas Mobile Corporation, “This stunning combination is here, now, and can be seen at MWC 2011.”

SAMSUNG:

“Samsung's leadership in LTE modem design is reflected in the world's first commercial implementation. The Samsung ‘Kalmia & Broom’, using the ARM Cortex processor, provides the necessary functionality to deliver on the expectations that users demand from next generation connectivity solutions,” commented Dr. Kyungho Kim, VP of DMC R&D center at Samsung, “Working with ARM on 2.5G, 3G and now 4G LTE technology has been rewarding as their expertise and innovative technology delivers on our requirements.”

XINCOMM:

“Xincomm recognizes the market potential of the next generation wireless communication technology, in particular the potential of TDD/FDD-LTE,” said Xiangguo Tang, CEO of Xincomm, “Working with ARM to address this market is important for Xincomm, as we continue to develop LTE baseband chipsets and develop into a global leader in communication semiconductors.”

MARVELL:

“Marvell is proud to partner with ARM to drive Mobile Computing by coupling high performance, low power computation with the high bandwidth, low latency delivered by LTE,” said Gordon Grigor, VP Mobile Marketing at Marvell. “Marvell has driven ARM to a ubiquitous level on Mobile devices, and also is focused on rapidly expanding its use in the enterprise. With our LTE and TD-LTE products, Marvell is proud to bring the benefits of ARM to the farthest reaches of both today’s and tomorrow’s mobile users.”

COGNOVO:

“LTE is being deployed rapidly to address the growing thirst from consumers for mobile broadband content. This acceleration in bandwidth roll-out is, in turn, driving increased performance in embedded processing for wireless enabled devices,” commented Charles Sturman, Founder and VP Sales & Marketing at Cognovo, “ARM is meeting the challenge with de-facto products for control and application processing, such as the Cortex-R series. Working closely with ARM, Cognovo is meeting the challenge with our Modem Compute Engine delivering faster roll-out at reduced cost for next generation wireless modems.”

ST-ERICSSON:

“After driving development of LTE for several years we are now ready to supply market-leading LTE solutions underlining both our leadership in LTE and the robustness of our technology ” said Björn Ekelund, head of eco-systems and research at ST-Ericsson, “Thanks to close collaboration over the years with technology partners, such as ARM, as well as our relationship with operators, device manufactures, and ODMs, we are well positioned to meet the growing demand for smartphones, tablets and notebooks that can tap the world’s fastest wireless networks."

MEDIATEK:

“Through continuous technology innovation in 3G and 4G wireless technologies such as TD-SCDMA and TD-LTE, MediaTek has shown a strong commitment to enabling the connected user experience across the globe” commented C.J. Hsieh, President of MediaTek, “As a leading supplier of wireless communications solutions, we see huge potential in our increasingly connected world as data rates and access continue to evolve. Working with partners, such as ARM, is important as we innovate to address the needs of consumers.”

BROADCOM:

“As a global leader in providing semiconductors for wired and wireless solutions, Broadcom delivers an unparalleled range of wireless connectivity solutions that are powering today’s connected lifestyle. From highly integrated 2G, 3G and now 4G baseband solutions to applications processing, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and NFC, Broadcom has created innovative platforms to help our OEM customers reach their goal of providing a seamlessly connected user experience,” said Robert Rango, Executive Vice-President and GM, Mobile and Wireless Group, Broadcom Corporation. “We look forward to continuing to work with ARM technology to enable an always-on, always-connected mobile experience with market leading wireless solutions.”INTEL MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS

“Intel Mobile Communications has successfully worked with ARM to produce market leading baseband solutions for the 2G and 3G markets,” said Prof. Dr. Hermann Eul, President of Intel Mobile Communications. “As we move into the next era of cellular technology, Intel Mobile Communications is ready to address future modem standards and ARM stays positioned as a partner for this. Cores such as the Cortex-R5 processor provide the performance that we envisage OEMs will require for LTE, and an upgraded roadmap as the market eventually transitions to LTE-Advanced.”

ARM’s new LTE roadmap - the new ARM Cortex-R5 and Cortex-R7

The real-time demands of an LTE or LTE-Advanced wireless system can be met using ARM Cortex-R series processors. Features include support for high frequency interrupts and high speed data being transmitted, without loss of data, to and from the basestation and mobile device. At the same time, the ARM Cortex-R series processors provide LTE and LTE-Advanced solutions with excellent energy efficiency for low heat dissipation, and a long life with a small form factor battery in mobile devices.

About LTE and 4G

For more information on LTE, LTE-Advanced, TD-LTE, TDD-LTE, FDD-LTE and other variants see this link: http://www.3gpp.org/-technologies-

About ARM

ARM designs the technology that is at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM’s comprehensive product offering includes 32-bit RISC microprocessors, graphics processors, video engines, enabling software, cell libraries, embedded memories, high-speed connectivity products, peripherals and development tools. Combined with comprehensive design services, training, support and maintenance, and the company’s broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies.

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