5G Open RAN baseband semiconductor and software specialist honoured for its pioneering work

Picocom is delighted to announce that it has been named Start-Up of the Year at the Elektra Awards 2022. The company was recognised for its disruptive approach to the traditionally closed Radio Access Networks market, where it is working to create open, more interoperable deployable 5G RAN technology.

Elektra Judges quote: “In just 4 years Picocom have demonstrated outstanding success and growth in a highly competitive global market sector. To design and successfully launch a new chip in such a short time, in such a competitive environment, is an amazing achievement.”

Picocom’s PC802 is a purpose-designed PHY SoC for 5GNR/LTE small cell disaggregated and integrated RAN architectures and includes support for industry-leading Open RAN specifications. It demonstrates the importance of standardised interface efforts for hardware and fulfils the promise of Open RAN by empowering new vendors. Diversifying the supply chain within open architectures must occur at the chip level, and PC802 helps achieve that by combining technical innovation with commercial promise.

Picocom’s PC802 chip is the world’s first, leading-edge, innovative device, not only because it is already deployed and available on the market, but it has unprecedented flexibility, with all the vital standard interfaces to support open networks. Its flexibility enables it to support various use cases, empowering Open RAN small cells of varying functional splits. It also reduces power consumption whilst providing full PHY functionality for multi-carrier, dual-mode NR/LTE small cells.

“We truly believe that addressing the urgent need for optimised silicon to power Open RAN, a topic whose immense promise has dominated industry discussion for several years, is of critical importance. However, for successful deployments to be realised it’s clear that Open RAN needs optimised silicon, and our product, PC802, delivers on this,” said Oliver Davies, VP of Marketing at Picocom. “We are delighted to have won Start-Up of the Year at the Elektra Awards. To be recognised with this prestigious honour in addition to the positive feedback we’ve received from our partners and customers gives us the confidence we are energising the Open RAN market.”

Winners were announced on 30 November 2022 at the awards ceremony in London.

The Elektra Awards, run in partnership with Electronics Weekly, are held annually and recognise excellence within the global electronics industry, and welcome entries from manufacturers, distributors, designers, individuals, research groups and start-ups in order to accurately reflect the nature of today’s dynamic electronics industry.