5G-Stocks

## 5g Chip Makers (aka Semiconductor Makers)

As with all tech, the basic 5G building blocks semiconductors -- the computer chips that calculate data and execute commands. These companies build the chips that help 5G work:

### 1. Qualcomm

**Qualcomm** (NASDAQ:QCOM) has ridden the smartphone boom since the early 2000s, focusing on the tech behind first 3G and then 4G mobile networks. The smartphone industry has matured, and unit sales no longer reliably post double-digit percentage growth, but the 5G upgrade cycle still bodes well for Qualcomm, since its 5G ambitions reach far beyond phones.

Qualcomm’s portfolio includes chips enabling 5G communication in everything from Internet of Things devices like industrial equipment to smartphones to cars, as well as modems and other equipment that make up the 5G network itself. The company has ample cash on its balance sheet to drive further hardware innovation, and it has consistently paid a dividend for nearly two decades.

### 2. Skyworks Solutions

Much smaller than its peer Qualcomm, **Skyworks Solutions** (NASDAQ:SWKS) also deserves to be near the top of the list. A key smartphone and consumer electronics supplier, the company has used its connectivity know-how to enter other markets, including smart home devices, connected industrial equipment, and medical devices. It has also developed some of the basic components that power the next-gen 5G network. Though it’s the smallest chipmaker on this list, Skyworks has a healthy balance sheet to promote further growth as the next wave of connectivity services comes online.

### 3. Advanced Micro Devices

**AMD** (NASDAQ:AMD) makes the list because of its acquisition of **Xilinx**(NASDAQ:XLNX) -- the industry leader in field programmable gate array (FPGA) chips. FPGAs are flexible designs that customers can reprogram and reconfigure even after they’ve been built. As new hardware is developed for 5G, FPGAs’ adaptability makes them ideal for constructing the basic equipment to deploy it. That leaves Xilinx well positioned as 5G rollout ramps up around the world. Adding Xilinx gives AMD access to a best-in-class research and development department, and will also improve AMD’s profitability as Xilinx’s sales have a far higher profit margin than AMD’s traditional chip portfolio.

### 4. NVIDIA

**NVIDIA**'s (NASDAQ:NVDA) graphics processing units (GPU) are best known for high-end video games, but they’ve found uses in many other applications, 5G included. 5G networks promise not only faster download speeds but also the ability to handle higher traffic and intelligently route network signals where they’re needed most.

GPUs are well suited for this task, and they’re already being used by telecoms and equipment makers. In addition, GPU-hungry video games -- especially cloud-based video games streamed over a network -- could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of 5G deployment among consumer products. Already a huge enterprise, this GPU leader is finding a potentially massive new market in 5G and has a history of making technological advancements.

## Equipment and infrastructure stocks

Beyond the basic chips needed to power new telecommunications, general equipment makers also play a key role. To reach businesses and consumers, wireless 5G signals need hardware to do the heavy lifting behind the scenes.

Before it gets turned into a high-speed Wi-Fi signal, 5G data needs to travel along the wired internet just like other data. That’s where fiber-optic cable comes in, and **Corning**(NYSE:GLW) -- the veteran glass and ceramics manufacturer -- is a top provider of it. Even as they deploy new radio towers, many telecoms providing 5G also need to beef up their back-end networks with high-speed cable, and Corning is a top supplier for many of those companies. Corning is also getting into the small-cell antenna space, partnering with Qualcomm to supply in-building network equipment to help solve some of the problems 5G signals have in penetrating solid surfaces. A long dividend payment history doesn’t hurt Corning’s case here, either.

Data center and internet infrastructure company **Arista Networks** (NYSE:ANET) is another often overlooked 5G stock. Because 5G will be carrying massive amounts of data -- like ultra-high-definition video streaming, or communications for network-connected vehicles -- data centers will play a key role in computing all of the new digital information. Arista is a top equipment provider with open-source hardware and software-defined management tools, and it will benefit from 5G’s accompanying boom in mobile data.

## Real estate stocks

Another key aspect of 5G’s backbone is the towers and other fixed assets needed to broadcast its signal. **American Tower** (NYSE:AMT), **Crown Castle** (NYSE:CCI) and **Digital Realty Trust** (NYSE:DLR), organized as real estate investment trusts (REITs), shine in this arena. American Tower and Crown Castle own and operate real estate, including buildings and cell tower sites crucial to the function of mobile networks and internet infrastructure at large. These companies also run fiber-optic networks that connect 5G small-cell sites to the larger Internet.

Though they’re primarily investment income vehicles, both REITs have grown their share prices significantly over time as mobility becomes increasingly important around the globe. And with the flow of data continuing to boom -- thanks in large part to data-intensive applications like video and cloud-computing operations -- the communications real estate assets in which American Tower and Crown Castle specialize will be more important than ever.

Source: https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/market-sectors/communication/5g-stocks/

## 5G SPAC

**NBA / MIMO / Airspan**

* *Airspan Networks, a leading pioneer of 5G network solutions, has entered into a business combination agreement with New Beginnings Acquisition Corp.; the newly combined company is expected to be listed on the NYSE American under the new ticker symbol “MIMO.”*
* *The agreement is expected to provide approximately $166 million of net proceeds to the combined company, assuming no redemptions by New Beginning’s public stockholders, to execute the company’s growth plan for the inflection point of the 5G global network infrastructure buildout.*
* *SoftBank Group Capital Limited and Dish Network Corporation invest in fully committed $75 million common stock PIPE with participation from other existing investors, such as Oak Investment Partners and NEA, along with other institutional investors.*
* *Qualcomm Incorporated, a 5G ecosystem partner and other existing shareholders will receive equity in the combined company.*
* *Pro forma enterprise value of the combined company following the merger is expected to be $822 million at the $10.00 per share PIPE price.*

## 5G News:

**March 1, 2021:**

**5G spectrum auction**

The midband spectrum auction ended last month with a record $80.9B in bids

Verizon was the top spender overall, bidding nearly $45.5B, while AT&T bid "just" $23.4B, though it's well known that AT&T has less financial flexibility, carrying heavy debt from the Time Warner acquisition. And T-Mobile (arguably in the catbird seat as far as airwaves go) spent $9.3B. Those three won 90% of the 5,684 licenses up for sale.

Even after committing $45.5B (and $53.4B total when you add in needed midband relocation fees), Verizon will still be in second place to T-Mobile in terms of sub-6 GHz spectrum, despite that mmWave lead.

The airwaves distributed through the auction are critical to any future players in 5G. Verizon's strategy led it to build up high-frequency millimeter wave spectrum - fast airwaves carrying much more data than lower frequencies, but with a short geographic travel ability. Meanwhile, the lowband spectrum in which T-Mobile has taken a strong position travels further geographically but carrying significantly less data. Midband airwaves offer a balance between speed and coverage.

The propagation characteristics of midband spectrum mean that big spender Verizon will need far more transmission sites to cover the same geographic area than they might need with fewer lowband sites. That could mean a boon for tower/small-cell providers like Crown Castle International (NYSE:CCI) and American Tower (NYSE:AMT).

**March 1, 2021:**

5G方面，工信部公布的数据显示，到2020年底，我国累计开通5G基站71.8万个，5G手机终端连接数突破2亿户.