Renesas Electronics already has an established line of RF transceivers for mobile handsets and it also has applications processors. Renesas Electronics has licensed the Nokia modem since 2009 and the two companies have been working together to develop an industry-leading HSPA+/LTE platform.

The acquisition of Nokia’s line of baseband modems will give Renesas a complete mobile handset platform. Included in the deal will be baseband chip technologies for LTE, HSPA and GSM standards. Renesas will also take on around 1,100 Nokia R&D staff based in the UK, Finland, India and Denmark.

According to Yasushi Akao, (right) president of Renesas Electronics, the transfer of the wireless modem business will “complement our core competences and serve as the key driving forces in growing our mobile business in the global market."

"Wireless modems are an integral part of today's chipset solutions, and we believe that Renesas Electronics, as one of the key chipset vendors in the market, is in an ideal position to further develop this offering," says Kai Oistamo, (left) executive VP, Nokia.