Articles by Gary Lerude, Microwave Journal Technical Editor

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) concluded that the proposed acquisition of Wolfspeed by Infineon "poses a risk to the national security of the United States." Infineon stated in a press release "that there is a considerable risk that the transaction, as agreed, is not going to close."

By fall, AT&T is planning to conduct field trials of its millimeter wave propagation over power line technology named Project AirGig. AirGig has the potential to provide Gbps data rates without incurring expensive construction costs.

New FCC chairman Ajit Pai told his colleagues at the commission that one of their priorities will be to close the digital divide. He also promised to listen to all views and approach issues with an open mind.

President Trump appointed Ajit Pai the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), replacing Tom Wheeler. Pai joined the commission in 2012 and has been a critic of net neutrality.

Responding to MACOM’s repeated and strong public statements about its lawsuit against Infineon Technologies over rights to GaN on Si technology, Infineon publicly responded with its side of the case.

In a filing with the SEC, Cree stated that Infineon’s acquisition of Cree’s Wolfspeed subsidiary is proceeding through the regulatory review process, including the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Cree and Infineon believe the transaction will close in February 2017.

Skyworks Solutions has launched a portfolio of CATV infrastructure products for DOCSIS 3.1 and EuroDOCSIS 3.1, including the first commercially available linear amplifiers in Europe that operate to 1218 MHz.

Surfing the wave of the iPhone 7 ramp, Qorvo’s Q2 fiscal 2017 revenue jumped 24 percent sequentially and 22 percent above Q2 of fiscal 2016 to $865 million. Revenue was above the company’s guidance range of $820 million to $850 million. However, poor yields on a low band power amplifier duplexer (PAD) for the iPhone 7 hurt margins: GAAP gross margin was 36.6 percent, down from 39.6 percent in Q1 and 40.2 percent in Q2 of fiscal 2016.

The United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles has granted MACOM’s request for a preliminary injunction, ruling in MACOM’s lawsuit against Infineon Technologies over GaN-on-Si technology rights.

WIN Semiconductors Corp. reported fiscal Q3 revenue of NT$3,553 million ($112 million), up 22 percent from Q3 of 2015 and down 0.5 percent from the prior quarter. Year-to-date revenue was NT$10,417 million ($329 million), up 18 percent from the prior year period. Q4 revenue is expected to decline in the "low teens" sequentially.