Cirtek US unit rolls out next-gen telco antennas

Cirtek’s US unit Quintel produces antennas for leading US telcos

The Silicon Valley-based unit of electronics manufacturer Cirtek Holdings Philippines Corp. has rolled out a new range of antennas capable of handling faster frequencies previously reserved for the US navy, aircraft and satellite applications.

The deployment of nine new antenna configurations by Cirtek’s subsidiary, Quintel USA Inc., seeks to help US telecom carriers improve their 5G services especially at this time that demand for connectivity has become paramount due to lockdown protocols and social distancing required by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The new antennas are equipped with Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) frequencies which were recently released for commercial use by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on January 27, 2020. 

Under the FCC rule, US wireless carriers may deploy 5G mobile networks using the CBRS spectrum without acquiring additional licenses.

One of the top two largest carriers recently approved a deal for Quintel to supply CBRS antennas, Cirtek disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

Quintel’s new antennas utilize the 3.5GHz CBRS band which is designed to improve wireless broadband access and performance in the US.

“Quintel is very excited to participate in the nationwide swap out of existing antennas to add CBRS functionality on top of current infrastructure. This comes at an opportune time when the pandemic has forced millions of companies and employees to work from home thereby shifting rapid growth and traffic to voice and data networks. Our new antennas are designed to open up to 150 MHz of new information highway spectrum to US networks,” said Cirtek vice chair and president, Jorge Aguilar.

US telco providers are expected to replace fiber access with CBRS in delivering fixed wireless services and other offerings, in turn improving internet of things (IoT) connectivity.

Meanwhile, Cirtek Advanced Technologies and Solutions Inc. (CATSI), Cirtek’s microwave and millimeter wave manufacturing arm, signed a multi-million project with a Silicon Valley based tech company for the production of 5G-supporting chipsets to be used in fiber optic networks. A single chipset enables data processing speeds of up to 400 Gbps in optical networks.

“Such capability, when used collectively will allow great scalability and cater to the growing data processing requirements of an increasingly networked society. CATSI is capitalizing its decades of history and experience in specialized microwave integrated circuit (MIC) assembly and test know- how capabilities to begin production for the chipsets by fourth quarter 2020,” Cirtek Holdings chief financial officer Brian Gregory Liu said.

Quintel designs, develops and delivers advanced base station antenna solutions that help mobile operators increase efficiency, enhance quality of service, slash costs and accelerate returns.

CATSI produces electronic manufacturing services, modules, systems, box-build finished products and equipment for wireless broadband, cellular communications, radar, satellite and advanced antenna systems for terrestrial, mobile and space-link communications.