(Yicai Global) Feb. 3 -- Chinese mobile network operator China Telecom’s research arm has developed its own fifth-generation low-power micro base station, that boosts indoor wireless network coverage, entirely from homegrown chips and devices. This is likely to lead to the ever finer subdividing of 5G deployment, industry insiders said.

The China Telecom Research Institute’s Pico Remote Radio Unit uses Zealync’s RF transceiver chip and Innochips-tech’s DFE chip, according to Yicai Global research.

It is a major step in the independence of China’s telecoms sector as the global market for 5G micro base station chips is mainly dominated by foreign manufacturers, namely Intel, NXP and Qualcomm.

5G network architecture requires a large number of small base stations, which promotes more opportunities in the network communication equipment market, TrendForce said.

Dense layers of micro base stations can increase the 5G network coverage area and also provide adequate coverage in areas where the 5G signal from macro base stations are unable to penetrate, such as in large indoor areas like office buildings, airports and shopping malls.

The 5G micro base station market will produce more suppliers to provide support for basic technology such as chips and software systems, Beijing New Energy Consulting said.

Global telecom operators plan to accelerate the construction of small base stations this year, according to the Small Cell Forum, an industry organization in the global mobile communications field.

There will be around 36 million micro base stations in the global market by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 15 percent in the next five years, it added.

Editors: Shi Yi, Kim Taylor