Akoustis Achieves Design-Lock on Tandem WiFi 6E BAW Coexistence Filter Solutions

Rhea-AI Summary

Akoustis Technologies (NASDAQ: AKTS) has announced the design-lock of its new 5.5 GHz and 6.5 GHz WiFi 6E XBAW filters, aimed at enhancing wireless connectivity. These filters, covering the UNII 1-3 and UNII 5-8 bands, promise low power loss and improved coexistence with existing frequencies. Expected to be qualified by early 2021 and in production by the end of Q2, Akoustis seeks to capitalize on the growing WiFi 6E market. The FCC's approval of additional spectrum for unlicensed use further supports this expansion. CEO Jeff Shealy emphasizes the potential for significant growth in revenue and unit sales.

Positive

• Design-lock of 5.5 GHz and 6.5 GHz XBAW filters targets WiFi 6E market.
• Low power loss and superior coexistence with competing filters.
• Production-ready filters expected by the end of June quarter.
• Potential for significant revenue and unit growth as WiFi 6E devices are developed.

Negative

• None.

– Company’s 5.5/6.5 GHz WiFi 6E XBAW Filters Offer Ultra-Wide Passband Performance in both 5 GHz and 6 GHz Unlicensed Bands –

– XBAW Micro Filters’ Superior Coexistence Allows Use of Entire New WiFi 6E Spectrum Band –

Charlotte, N.C., Jan. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akoustis Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKTS) (“Akoustis” or the “Company”), an integrated device manufacturer (IDM) of patented bulk acoustic wave (BAW) high-band RF filters for mobile and other wireless applications, announced today that it has design-locked its new 5.5 GHz and 6.5 GHz XBAW filters for the emerging WiFi 6E market.

The new 5.5 GHz filter module covers the entire UNII 1-3 bands of the WiFi 6E standard, while the 6.5 GHz filter module covers the entire UNII 5-8 bands. Both offer low power loss at the passband, with the 5.5 GHz filter offering greater coexistence with the 6.5 GHz band versus competing LTCC and dielectric resonator filters. WiFi 6E adds more channels to reduce congestion and significantly increases data throughput with additional wider channels available in the new 6 GHz spectrum.

Akoustis expects to fully qualify its leading tandem 5.5 GHz and 6.5 GHz WiFi 6E filters in early 2021, with production ready filters available by the end of the June quarter. For sample and sales inquiries please contact: sales@akoustis.com.

Jeff Shealy, founder and CEO of Akoustis, stated, “This is another landmark moment for Akoustis. Given our leadership in high-band BAW micro-filter technology, we are extremely well positioned at the early stage of the new, emerging WiFi 6E standard to deliver high performance filtering solutions for every kind of device that uses WiFi.” Mr. Shealy continued, “We are currently engaged with multiple OEMs and ODMs for the development and production of WiFi 6E devices, from routers to 5G mobile phones, and we believe that WiFi 6E will provide Akoustis a significant opportunity for unit and revenue growth for years to come.”

The FCC announced in late April the approval of 5.925-7.125 GHz for unlicensed use, which is the largest spectrum addition since the FCC allocated unlicensed spectrum for WiFi in 1989.  The next generation of WiFi that is expected to use these new frequency bands is called WiFi 6E. This approval creates another significant new band, or combination of bands, over the next several years. Since the FTC’s April announcement, governments around the world have begun allocating the same or similar spectrum for future WiFi use.

Akoustis’ high frequency, high performance XBAW^® process and filters are experiencing growing interest as the Company has entered production in multiple markets in calendar 2020, including 5G network infrastructure, high-band WiFi and phased-array radar applications.

Akoustis has added 15 filters to its product catalog including a 5.6 GHz WiFi filter, a 5.2 GHz WiFi filter, a 5.5 GHz WiFi-6E filter, a 6.5 GHz WiFi 6E filter, three small cell 5G network infrastructure filters including two Band n77 filters and one Band n79 filter, a 3.8 GHz filter and five S-Band filters for defense phased-array radar applications, a 3.6 GHz filter for the CBRS 5G infrastructure market and a C-Band filter for the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) market. The Company is also developing several new filters for the sub-7 GHz bands targeting 5G mobile device, network infrastructure, WiFi CPE and defense markets.

About Akoustis Technologies, Inc.

Akoustis^® (http://www.akoustis.com/) is a high-tech BAW RF filter solutions company that is pioneering next-generation materials science and MEMS wafer manufacturing to address the market requirements for improved RF filters - targeting higher bandwidth, higher operating frequencies and higher output power compared to incumbent polycrystalline BAW technology deployed today. The Company utilizes its proprietary XBAW^® manufacturing process to produce bulk acoustic wave RF filters for mobile and other wireless markets, which facilitate signal acquisition and accelerate band performance between the antenna and digital back end. Superior performance is driven by the significant advances of high-purity, single-crystal and associated piezoelectric materials and the resonator-filter process technology which drives electro-mechanical coupling and translates to wide filter bandwidth. 

Akoustis plans to service the fast growing multi-billion-dollar RF filter market using its integrated device manufacturer (IDM) business model. The Company owns and operates a 120,000 sq. ft. ISO-9001:2015 registered commercial wafer-manufacturing facility located in Canandaigua, NY, which includes a class 100 / class 1000 cleanroom facility - tooled for 150-mm diameter wafers - for the design, development, fabrication and packaging of RF filters, MEMS and other semiconductor devices. Akoustis Technologies, Inc. is headquartered in the Piedmont technology corridor near Charlotte, North Carolina.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our estimates, expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans or strategies for the future (including our possible future results of operations, business strategies, competitive position, potential growth opportunities, potential market opportunities and the effects of competition), and the assumptions underlying such statements. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and typically are identified by use of terms such as "may," “might,” “would,” "will," "should," "could," “project,” "expect," "plan," “strategy,” "anticipate," “attempt,” “develop,” “help,” "believe," "estimate," "predict," “intend,” “forecast,” “seek,” "potential," "continue," “future,” and similar words (including the negative of any of the foregoing), although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future results, performance, events or circumstances. Instead, these forward-looking statements are based on management’s current beliefs, expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated include, without limitation, risks relating to our ability to obtain adequate financing and sustain our status as a going concern; our limited operating history; the results of our research and development activities, including uncertainties relating to semiconductor process manufacturing; the development of our XBAW^® technology and products presently under development and the anticipated timing of such development; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights that are valuable to our business, including patent and other intellectual property rights; our reliance on third parties to complete certain processes in connection with the manufacture of our products; product quality and defects; existing or increased competition; our ability to successfully manufacture, market and sell products based on our technologies; the ability to achieve qualification of our products for commercial manufacturing in a timely manner and the size and growth of the potential markets for any products so qualified; our ability to successfully scale our New York wafer fabrication facility and related operations while maintaining quality control and assurance and avoiding delays in output; the rate and degree of market acceptance of any of our products; our ability to achieve design wins from current and future customers; contracting with customers and other parties with greater bargaining power and agreeing to terms and conditions that may adversely affect our business; risks related to doing business in foreign countries; any security breaches or other disruptions compromising our proprietary information and exposing us to liability; our ability to raise funding to support operations and the continued development and qualification of our products and the technologies underlying them; our ability to service our outstanding indebtedness represented by our $15.0 million principal amount of convertible senior secured notes due in March 2021; and the impact of a pandemic or epidemic or a natural disaster, including the COVID-19 pandemic, on our operations, financial condition and the worldwide economy, including its impact on our ability to access the capital markets; our ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting; and our ability to obtain and maintain the Trusted Foundry accreditation of our New York wafer fabrication facility. These and other risks and uncertainties are described in more detail in the Risk Factors and Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Considering these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking statements regarding future events and circumstances discussed in this document may not occur, and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The forward-looking statements included in this document speak only as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update publicly or privately any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, for any reason after the date of this document to conform these statements to new information, actual results or to changes in our expectations.

FAQ

What is the significance of Akoustis' new WiFi 6E filters for stock AKTS?

The new WiFi 6E filters have potential for significant revenue growth as they cater to the emerging demand for high-performance wireless solutions.

When are Akoustis' 5.5 GHz and 6.5 GHz filters expected to enter production?

Akoustis expects production-ready filters to be available by the end of the June quarter of 2021.

How do Akoustis' filters enhance WiFi 6E performance?

The filters provide low power loss and improved coexistence, allowing devices to utilize the expanded WiFi 6E spectrum.

What regulatory development supports Akoustis' new WiFi 6E filters?

The FCC's approval of the 5.925-7.125 GHz band for unlicensed use supports the deployment of WiFi 6E technology.

What markets is Akoustis targeting with its new filters?

Akoustis is engaging with multiple OEMs and ODMs for WiFi 6E devices, including routers and 5G mobile phones.