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Skyworks Solutions Inc., an innovator of high performance analog semiconductors connecting people, places and things, announced that for $76.5 million, it has acquired the remaining 34 percent interest it did not already own in the filter joint venture it created with Panasonic in 2014.

Optimal+™, the leader in big data solutions for manufacturing operations in the semiconductor and electronics industries, announced the availability of Release 6.5. This latest release includes an extension of the company’s Global Ops solution to serve the needs of electronics manufacturing operations.

SAW filter designer Resonant expanded their licensing agreement with an unnamed, "tier one" customer to add three SAW filter designs. The new agreement covers the development and licensing of Resonant’s first integrated module design that incorporates three complex duplexers. The design will be manufactured using wafer level packaging.

Vodafone U.K. and Huawei are conducting technical trials of a new mobile technology, 4.5G (TDD+) with LTE TDD, to significantly increase the capacity and efficiency of its 4G network in urban areas.

Akoustis Technologies, a pre-revenue start-up pursuing single crystal bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filters for mobile devices, reported that the company has fabricated a single crystal BAW filter for the 2.7 GHz band and said this is the world's first single crystal BAW filter. Akoustis claims their single crystal piezoelectric material will provide better performance than current BAW filters.

Skyworks, the largest and best performing RF semiconductor supplier, reported the first year-over-year sales decline in years, a reflection of the softness in iPhone sales. However, the company grew their mobile business in China and secured designs wins in the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) market.

Rogers Corp. introduces RO4730G3™ UL 94 V-0 antenna-grade laminates to meet present and future performance requirements in active antenna arrays and small cells, notably in 4G base transceiver stations (BTS) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications as well as emerging 5G wireless systems.

Start-up filter design company Resonant has extended a licensing agreement with an existing customer, adding the design of a complex filter for the time division duplex (TDD) requirements of the Chinese market.

Anritsu Co. introduces CPRI RF measurement capability in its market-leading E series of Site Master™, Spectrum Master™ and Cell Master™ handheld field analyzers that dramatically simplifies and lowers the cost of testing Remote Radio Heads (RRHs) installed atop 4G towers.

Resonant purchased GVR Trade SA, a Swiss company that designs and consults on surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) devices, for approximately $1.1 million. Victor Plessky, who founded GVR, will become Resonant's director of engineering.