GCT Semiconductor and ARM Accelerate Development of Next-Generation Digital Mobile TV and Emerging 4G Technologies

ARM processor delivers power and performance advantages for next-generation smartphones and laptops 

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA AND CAMBRIDGE, UK – Oct. 11, 2006 – GCT Semiconductor, a leader in innovative integrated circuits for the wireless communications industry, and ARM [(LSE:ARM)]; (NASDAQ:ARMHY)], today announced that GCT Semiconductor has licensed the ARM926EJ-S™ processor for use in next-generation reference designs focused on digital mobile TV and emerging 4G wireless technologies. The versatile ARM926EJ-S processor enables GCT Semiconductor to deliver a flexible SoC platform for next-generation smartphones and laptops, supporting rich audio content and high-performance mobile gaming applications.

With its unique CMOS RF expertise, GCT Semiconductor continues to demonstrate its leadership position as a key player with cutting-edge handset solutions for W-CDMA, PHS, and digital mobile TV technologies. A recent report from In-Stat stated that TV-on-mobile services are predicted to reach more than 102 million subscribers by 2010, up from 3.4 million in 2006. By joining the market during its infancy, GCT Semiconductor is well placed to drive the growth of this emerging market.  

“At GCT we are constantly working to integrate the most innovative technologies into our designs, as we continue to advance our position as a leader in CMOS RF and wireless SoC solutions” said Dr. Kyeongho Lee, CEO, GCT Semiconductor. “ARM’s expertise has proven valuable while planning our latest SoC designs. By licensing an ARM9E™ family processor, we have procured a proven and robust design which will allow us optimal processing horsepower for our extremely low power CMOS devices. This will provide a competitive edge as we develop and release products for 3G and 4G applications such as W-CDMA/Edge and the emerging mobile TV standards (such as ISDB-T, DVB-H/T and DMB) that need to be extremely power efficient for maximum run time.”

Mobile gaming is one of the fastest-growing areas in the South Korean wireless data market. Improvements in device technologies from companies such as GCT Semiconductor, as well as the availability of richer content, have combined to bring more games and compelling content to consumers. Gartner reported that mobile gaming accounted for 9.8 percent (or $155 million) of South Korea’s total game market in 2004[1]. As a member of the ARM Connected Community, GCT Semiconductor will be able to capitalize on the expanding market for mobile games in Asia. The ARM926EJ-S processor features Jazelle® technology, enabling GCT Semiconductor to develop fast Java-based devices with long battery life, which are ideally suited for mobile gaming.

“The wealth of features and services demanded by mobile consumers requires a flexible and robust processor engine, capable of switching applications seamlessly and driving performance efficiently at low power. The ARM9E processor family represents the ideal solution for ARM Partners such as GCT Semiconductor by rolling out enhanced features on a low power budget,” said Sam Kim, president, ARM Korea. “GCT Semiconductor is at the forefront of technology innovation, with initiatives to launch SoCs for digital mobile TV and emerging 4G technologies .”

The ARM926EJ-S processor is fully synthesizable, and features a Jazelle technology-enhanced 32-bit RISC CPU, flexible size instruction and data caches, tightly coupled memory interfaces and memory management unit. The ARM926EJ-S processor is also compatible with the ARM EDA Reference Methodology, and is fully supported by the ARM RealView®Development Suite 3.0 and the RealView System Generator tool, to significantly reduce time-to-market. For more information please visit http://www.arm.com/products/CPUs/ARM926EJ-S.html.

About GCT Semiconductor, Inc.

GCT Semiconductor is a leading fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops and markets innovative integrated circuit solutions for the wireless communications industry. With its proven CMOS radio frequency (RF) and SOC expertise, GCT provides state-of-the-art CMOS RF transceivers, CMOS single-chip Satellite-DMB digital tuners for mobile handset solutions offering handset manufacturers reduced component cost, lower power consumption and smaller footprint. Working with cellular platform partners, GCT offers complete handset reference designs, with proven expertise in digital signal processing and modems. For more information, please visit www.gctsemi.com.

About ARM

ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from mobile, home and enterprise solutions to embedded and emerging applications. ARM’s comprehensive product offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, graphic processors, digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products. Combined with the company’s broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com.

About the ARM Connected Community

The ARM Connected Community is a global network of companies aligned to provide a complete solution, from design to manufacture and end use, for products based on the ARM architecture. ARM offers a variety of resources to Community members, including promotional programs and peer-networking opportunities that enable a variety of ARM Partners to come together to provide end-to-end customer solutions. For more information, please visit http://www.arm.com/community.