SAN FRANCISO—Theworldwidewireless LAN (WLAN) semiconductor market will grow atacompoundannual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.8 percent through2012,when itwill pass the $4 billion mark, according to a studybymarketresearch firm IDC.
PCs will remain the largest application segmentforWLANsemiconductors, but mobile phone applications will grow ataCAGRof 49.3 percent and become the second-largest categoryforWLANsemiconductor revenue by 2012, according to IDC (Framingham,Mass.).
IDC said it expects the MIMO(multiple-inputandmultiple-output)-enhanced 802.11n technology tobe the nextgrowthdriver for this market as the higher throughputand rangeprovide agreat opportunity for new applications and usagemodels.
"The need for connectivity and connected mobileclientscontinuesto fuel the WLAN semiconductor market," saidAjitDeosthali,research manager for short-range wirelesssemiconductorsat IDC, ina statement. "WLAN adoption is set to growbeyondnotebook PC andinto the mobile phone and consumerelectronicsdevices."
IDC's study, Worldwide WLAN Semiconductor 2008-2012Forecast,alsomakes the case that Wi-Fi is set to take off inmobilehandsets withdual-mode phones that provide bothconventionalcellular and WLANconnectivity and says thatconnectivity is thefastest-growingsegment for semiconductorcompanies, with WLANleading theway.