The DOJ’s approval of the merger between Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. could bode well for some semiconductor suppliers, as well as allow for cheaper satellite radios, says some industry experts.
Suppliers like STMicroelectronics may fare well if the “new” Sirius decides to integrate its baseband and tuner on a single chip. ST would be able to do this with a minimal learning curve, according to Michael Kasparian, market development manager for the automotive business unit at the company. That’s because ST is the sole provider of XM’s baseband chipset and is one of two suppliers for Sirius’ baseband chipsets, plus it also delivers tuners for both systems.
Kasparian says a redesign into a single baseband chip will require retooling, because the two basebands are currently completely different, adding that the new chip spec from Sirius could take up to a year after FCC approval.
“We’d be talking about a 65nm CMOS process for the baseband chip,” said Kasparian. “If it takes longer to get the design, we may be to 45nm.”
According to ]
Share This
Random Posts
