STMicroelectronics Offers Turnkey Solution for Mobile WiMAX Base Stations

Geneva, January 09,2006 - Shortly after the IEEE ratified the new ‘mobile WiMAX’ standard (802.16e), STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), a leading supplier of System-on-Chip (SoC) products for the wireless market, announces its turnkey solution for 802.16e base-station modems. Based on the market’s first SoC baseband processor for wireless infrastructure applications (STW51000), ST’s comprehensive WiMAX offering couples unequalled levels of silicon integration with optimized software libraries, opening a fast and cost-effective path to next-generation mobile broadband services.  

WiMAX/IEEE 802.16 (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a global standard-based technology for broadband wireless access. Ratified last month, the new ‘mobile’ 802.16e standard ushers in a seamless, nomadic phase of WiMAX, where base stations can communicate with moving devices, allowing users to move around and maintain their broadband connection. Industry analysts expect there will be more than 50 million WiMAX subscribers by 2010, with the worldwide sales of WiMAX equipment growing at a CAGR of 140% over the next five years.

“ST has expanded its offering of turnkey system solutions for wireless base stations with the implementation of mobile WiMAX,” said Philippe Geyres, Executive VP, Home, Personal, Communication Sector at STMicroelectronics. “This unique product combines the lowest cost-per-user modem SoC with optimized software libraries and gives a superior head start to network equipment manufacturers, shortcutting cost and power concerns of discrete DSP and FPGA implementations, while increasing the integration and performance level.”

 ST’s super-integrated baseband modem combines two quad-MAC DSP cores, each running at 600MHz, with a 300MHz ARM926 RISC core, 16 Mbit of embedded SRAM memory, and dedicated channel decoding co-processor in a single device, demonstrating the industry’s lowest cost-per-channel and highest throughput. 802.16e benchmarks have shown that a single STW51000 can address a complete 10MHz TDD (Time-Division-Duplexing) PHY running on the DSPs, as well as the lower part of the MAC running on the ARM926.

Unlike other suppliers, ST bundles its base-station modem SoC with a full set of in-house software libraries, including 802.16e software for FDD (Frequency-Division-Duplex) and TDD modes. The one-stop-shopping scenario streamlines the supply chain for equipment manufacturers and significantly reduces their time-to-market and development costs.

The STW51000 is ready for full production and samples, evaluation boards, and tools, as well as optimized software libraries are available. Delivered in the PBGA 569 package, the device costs $50 in volume.

A leading supplier of advanced products to the wireless industry, STMicroelectronics offers a full spectrum of digital and RF devices for wireless infrastructure applications, covering most functions in cellular base stations and wireless broadband systems. From dedicated solutions (ASIC) to optimized standard products (ASSP), ST’s wireless infrastructure portfolio, defined in co-operation with leading telco manufacturers, ensures the highest level of integration and flexibility.

STMicroelectronics is a global leader in developing and delivering semiconductor solutions across the spectrum of microelectronics applications. An unrivalled combination of silicon and system expertise, manufacturing strength, Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and strategic partners positions the Company at the forefront of System-on-Chip (SoC) technology and its products play a key role in enabling today's convergence markets. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2004, the Company's net revenues were $8.76 billion and net earnings were $601 million. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.