In 2026, the communications and RF chip sector is undergoing a comprehensive transformation from ground to space, and from materials to frequency bands. On July 27, the U.S. government, together with 24 countries including the UK, Germany, and Japan, officially launched the "Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security," intending to weaken China's influence in next-generation communications technology before the commercialization of 6G in the 2030s. However, on the very same day the U.S. was rallying its allies, the 55th Research Institute of CETC (China Electronics Technology Group Corporation) achieved a cumulative delivery of over 5 million self-developed silicon-based GaN RF chips—marking the world’s first silicon-based GaN RF product to achieve large-scale commercial deployment in smart terminals. On one side are political coalition pledges; on the other lies the hard power of million-unit mass production. Competition in the communications chip space has moved beyond standards races and down to foundational materials.
6G Competition and Space-Air-Ground Integrated Communications In the 6G patent race, China has established a first-mover advantage. According to the "Internet in China Development Report 2025," as of June 2025, China's 6G patent applications accounted for 40.3% of the global total, ranking first. In core technology fields such as integrated sensing, communications, and computing, terahertz communications, and satellite-ground integration, China's patent layout accounts for over 50%. In May this year, the MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) approved the 6425-7125MHz frequency band as the 6G test frequency. This continuous 700 MHz bandwidth is widely recognized by the industry as the "golden spectrum for 6G." Currently, China's 6G R&D has completed the first phase of technical trials, forming over 300 key technology reserves, and the second phase of trials has been launched.
While 6G is not yet commercialized, satellite communications has taken the lead in igniting the market. Xinjixin released the IM3610 space-air-ground integrated multimode communications chip, achieving a breakthrough in the full-standard integration of 4G/5G terrestrial networks and LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite communications. Natively supporting the 3GPP Release 19 standard, it has become the first domestic communications chip company to achieve mass production under the Rel-19 standard. Xingsi Semiconductor launched the industry's first multimode converged broadband satellite communications baseband chip CS7620. It supports multiple standards including NR NTN, China's LEO satellite internet communications standards, and 5G RedCap/4G LTE. Its integrated domestic RISC-V processors provide the hardware foundation for smartphone and vehicle direct-to-satellite connectivity. OnMicro’s "Tiantong + Beidou + LEO" 3-in-1 satellite communications PA (Power Amplifier) chip has been mass-produced and shipped on a large scale, with cumulative shipments exceeding 20 million units, penetrating the supply chains of multiple Android flagship brands.
Domestic RF Chips Usher in the Window Period for Mass Production As communications frequency bands advance towards higher frequencies, traditional silicon-based and GaAs (Gallium Arsenide) RF devices have reached their performance ceiling. The target frequency band for 6G is at the terahertz level, a full order of magnitude higher than 5G. GaN (Gallium Nitride), featuring high-temperature tolerance, high-voltage resilience, and electron mobility roughly 30% higher than silicon, is widely regarded as the "cornerstone of 6G."
GaN RF chips have long faced a dilemma: they are prohibitively costly for high-end use and impractical for low-end scenarios. SiC-based GaN (Silicon Carbide-based GaN) offers top-tier performance, but its substrate costs start at thousands of dollars, and it requires 28V-48V high-voltage power supply, which is completely incompatible with the 3V-5V low-voltage system of mobile phones. The breakthrough approach by the 55th Research Institute of CETC is to grow the GaN functional layer on a low-cost silicon substrate, directly reusing mature 8/12-inch silicon wafer production lines, cutting costs without sacrificing performance.
Meanwhile, the Wi-Fi 7 RF front-end chip market is experiencing explosive growth. The global market size reached $1.25 billion in 2025 and is expected to maintain a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 25% from 2026 to 2032, exceeding $7.629 billion by 2032. Spurred by tariff policies, downstream terminal makers are actively adopting domestic alternative solutions. Companies like Maxscend, Vanchip, and Smarter Micro are ushering in a window period for customer validation and mass shipments.
"2026 Hardcore Communications and RF Chip Award" Who Will Be the "Hardcore King" of the Year? As the 6G race delves from standard competition into underlying materials, as satellite communications moves from professional scenarios to mass consumer markets, and as RF front-ends shift from "choke points" to "fully independent and controllable across the entire chain"... In this space-air-ground integrated communications revolution, which players can truly define “hardcore” through technology, prove their strength via mass production, and earn recognition through market traction?
As one of the most influential awards programs in China’s semiconductor industry, the Xinshiye Hardcore Chip Awards has become a coveted annual showcase for domestic chip firms. The following is a review of the shortlisted star products for communications and RF chips in the 2026 "8th Hardcore Chip" selection:
Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Group Company Limited Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Group Company Limited is a professional domestic company engaged in the design, development, testing, and provision of system solutions for VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration). As one of the pioneers in China's IC (Integrated Circuit) design industry, the company has long maintained its technological leadership and market dominance.
Its core advantages focus on fields such as programmable logic devices (FPGA), security and identification chips, smart meter and MCU (Microcontroller Unit) chips, non-volatile memory chips, smart appliance chips, and IC testing services. Its products are sold in over 30 countries and regions and are widely used in scenarios including finance, social security, anti-counterfeiting and traceability, network communications, home appliances, automotive electronics, industrial control, signal processing, data centers, AI (Artificial Intelligence), and satellite communications.
Fudan Zhuque JFMZQ68DRG1517H Programmable SoC (System on Chip) Chip The Fudan Zhuque JFMZQ68DRG1517H programmable SoC chip is a fully programmable RFSoC chip independently developed by Fudan Microelectronics. A single chip integrates a quad-core high-performance APU, programmable logic FPGA, wideband RF direct sampling high-speed ADC/DAC, high-performance IF DFE accelerator hard core, baseband LDPC (DVB-S2/X), and POLAR accelerator hard core, meeting the needs of various communications application scenarios. Coupled with independently developed software, it realizes an integrated hardware and software platform, facilitating user development, shortening the development cycle, and saving production costs.
Zhuhai Taiixin Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Zhuhai Taiixin Semiconductor Co., Ltd., founded in November 2016, is a national-level specialized, refined, differential, and innovative "key little giant" enterprise focusing on chip design in the AIoT field, and has been honored on the "China IC Unicorn" list.
The company is deeply engaged in the core technologies of wireless communications and audio/video processing, possessing full-stack independent R&D capabilities in baseband, protocol stacks, and RF circuits. As one of the first enterprises globally to achieve mass production of Wi-Fi HaLow™ chips, Taiixin has established a first-mover advantage in the long-distance IoT (Internet of Things) field with its ultra-strong penetration and ultra-low power consumption characteristics. Meanwhile, the company took the lead in launching audio/video SoC chips integrating NearLink technology, comprehensively empowering cutting-edge audio/video scenarios such as AI glasses, high-definition UAV image transmission, and video doorbells with low latency and strong anti-interference performance.
In terms of technology layout, the company has proactively deployed LTE Cat.1 chips, further improving the medium-rate IoT technology landscape and successfully building a "wireless + cellular" dual-technology driven system. Its product matrix comprehensively covers ultra-long-distance, low-power, multi-protocol convergence, and complex industrial-grade scenarios, widely empowering diverse fields such as consumer electronics, security monitoring, smart homes, embodied robots, connected vehicles, and the Industrial Internet. It has also gained recognition and achieved large-scale shipments from numerous leading customers such as Hikvision.
TXW82X / TXW828 The TXW828 is a low-power, high-performance, highly integrated audio/video wireless SoC chip. It internally integrates 2.4GHz Wi-Fi + Bluetooth BLE + NearLink SLE tri-mode, and features built-in high-performance ISP image processing and H.264/MJPEG codec, offering excellent RF performance, image processing, encoding quality, and a lower bit rate. At the same time, it integrates a security algorithm acceleration engine and possesses complete peripheral interfaces: rich peripheral interfaces such as audio ADC/DAC, MIPI CSI, MIPI DSI, DVP, LCD, RMII MAC, USB2.0 High Speed Host/Device, SDMMC Host, IIS, and PDM. It is widely used in AI glasses, wireless IPCs, thumb cameras, Wi-Fi digital cameras, action cameras, and low-power video doorbells.
Chengdu Star-Source Information Technology Co., Ltd. Chengdu Star-Source Information Technology Co., Ltd., founded in June 2014, is a leading domestic provider of wireless connection solutions based on independent semiconductor IP. Star-Source focuses on wireless communications, low-power IoT, satellite communications, and navigation, committed to providing customers with platform-based, one-stop chip customization services and RF/analog IP licensing.
The company's core intellectual property is completely independent and controllable, with over 100 patents applied for and owned. The team has been deeply engaged in the RF mixed-signal IC field for over a decade, fully mastering the 5 core technologies of RF chip design and the 6 key technologies of chip mass production. The technical indicators of its chips and IP reach domestic leading and international advanced levels, successfully achieving the leap from R&D to large-scale mass production and building key barriers across the entire chain from design to mass production. As of 2026, Star-Source has designed and mass-produced over 200 chips and IPs for the market, completed over 100 tape-outs, and achieved a total chip shipment volume exceeding 500 million units.
K/Ka Band Amplitude and Phase Control Multifunctional Chipset - AGC3241/AGC3242 The AGC3241/3242 series integrates an 8-channel transceiver link in a single chip, achieving 360° high-precision phase shifting and 23.5 dB fine attenuation. It features built-in power combiners, temperature and power detection functions, and SPI control, comprehensively simplifying the K/Ka band phased array RF front-end. This chipset combines low power consumption, low noise, and high amplitude-phase consistency. With unique architectural innovation and the advantage of domestic independent controllability, it precisely empowers satellite internet and advanced radar systems, providing core component support for the miniaturization and intelligence of multi-beam antennas, and possesses huge development potential.
The AGC3241/AGC3242 is a driver-level 8-channel multifunctional chipset for K/Ka band satellite communications phased array antennas. The AGC3241 covers 17.5–21.5GHz and integrates an 8-channel receive link; the AGC3242 covers 27–31.5GHz and integrates an 8-channel transmit link. Each channel features a built-in 360° continuous phase shifter (5.625° step), an attenuator with a 23.5 dB attenuation range (0.5 dB step), and an amplifier, along with integrated on-chip power combining, temperature, and power detection, with all functions configurable via SPI. The chipset features low power consumption, low noise, high-precision amplitude and phase control, and excellent port matching, making it suitable for microwave frequency bands such as phased array radar and satellite communications.
Shenzhen Jingyang Electronics Co., Ltd. Shenzhen Jingyang Electronics Co., Ltd., founded in 2006, is a national high-tech enterprise, a national-level specialized, refined, differential, and innovative "little giant" technology enterprise, a well-known brand in Shenzhen, and a single champion product in manufacturing in Guangdong Province.
Main products: ESD, TVS, IPD filters, MOSFETs, DC-DC, LDO series, industrial & automotive-grade sensors, high-side switch (HSD) chips, current sensors, automotive switch input chips, etc.
Products are applied in: computers/notebooks, set-top boxes, TVs, network communications, mobile phones, tablet terminals, smart wearables, security monitoring, home appliances, industrial control, NEVs (New Energy Vehicles), automotive electronics, TWS, power tools, etc.
IPD Common Mode Filter TFC0501M Jingyang Electronics' TFC0501M is the first domestic 3-in-1 IPD common mode filter. It adopts a wafer-level ultra-small package, integrating EMI filtering/ESD/surge triple protection in one. It features -30 dB@2.3 GHz common mode rejection, 7.6 GHz high differential bandwidth, a parasitic capacitance of only 0.25 pF, ESD protection up to ±15 kV, and surge tolerance of 6.5 A. It is completely Pin-to-Pin compatible with similar products from Nexperia, widely used in electromagnetic compatibility and circuit protection for high-speed interfaces such as USB and HDMI, helping electronic products become thinner, lighter, and more reliable.
IPD Low Pass Filter TFR0506L with Integrated ESD Protection Jingyang's TFR0506L adopts the IPD process to integrate pi-type RC filtering and TVS ESD protection. With a DFN2415-12L ultra-small package, it saves 80% of PCB (Printed Circuit Board) area compared to discrete solutions and is Pin-to-Pin compatible with the STMicroelectronics EMIF06 series for direct replacement. In the 900MHz–1.8GHz frequency band, the attenuation reaches -30 dB, effectively suppressing GSM/CDMA interference. The integrated TVS clamping voltage is as low as 11 V@4 A, with an ESD tolerance of ±25 kV (contact/air), improving protection capability by about 70% compared to competing products. It is widely used in various single-screen and foldable-screen mobile phones and high-pixel imaging modules, solving the risks of screen noise caused by EMI interference and ESD damage, and helping terminals achieve thinner and lighter designs and upgraded imaging experiences.
※ The above is a summary of some relevant enterprises, listed in no particular order. Comments are welcome for additions (WeChat: global360iot01)