Kyocera and Ube Industries signed a joint venture agreement to manufacture ceramic filters for 5G base stations.
Under the agreement, Kyocera will acquire 51 % of the shares of Ube Electronics, which will form the basis for a joint venture named Kyocera-Ube RF TEC Corporation, with operations starting this December.
Fifth-generation (5G) mobile network technology enables high-capacity, low-latency communications for more connected devices in smart homes, driverless cars, healthcare, and more. 5G technology generally involves two different types of base stations: macro-cell base stations, which provide coverage to relatively wider areas, and small-cell base stations with coverage for highly populated areas to strengthen communications. The deployment of base stations containing multiple antennas is expected to accelerate as 5G expands. Consequently, further miniaturisation of electronic components for base stations will play an important role in the success of 5G mobile networks.
Ceramic filters, which are among the main products manufactured by Ube Electronics, are key components enabling macro cell base stations. For base station applications, the ceramic filters paired with antennas remove unwanted signal elements and allow only the desired signal to be transmitted or received. In addition, because ceramic technology offers component miniaturisation while ensuring high power output, ceramic filters are expected to replace metallic filters in 5G infrastructure.
