 that handsets will also have to support ever more numerous multiple radio standards. This increases RF component cost and makes it harder to deliver consistent RF performance across such a wide range of possible RF operational conditions. This trend also highlights that some of the traditional RF device technologies that have served us faithfully for 50 years or more are nonoptimum for these extended operational conditions. From a business perspective, there is evidence of a closer coupling between companies with antenna and shielding expertise and silicon vendors. Similar agreements are likely between the MEMS community and silicon vendors to meet the perceived 3- to 5-year need for a closer integration of RF MEMS functionality with next generation silicon. At that stage, but not before, the software-defined radio finally becomes a practical reality. Long-term reliability issues of MEMS devices (given that they depend on mechanical movement) also still need to be resolved. 4.5.7 Handset RF Component Cost Trends Table 4.8 shows the RF BOM of a Tri Band GSM handset in 2003 (from RTT RF Cost Economics Study for the GSMA September 2007 - original source price points from Plextek4 for the manufactured product costing for a multimedia smart phone designed for a customer. Table 4.8 Triband GSM RF BOM Reproduced by permission of Plextek Component Quantity Cost in dollars RF VCO TXVCO RF balun Dual digital transistors TCVCXO Triband transceiver RF front-end module Transmit power control IC Triple-band power amplifier High-speed LDO (2 V voltage regulator) Total 12.52 4 http://www.plextek.com/ Making Telecoms Work The 12.52 dollars equated to 7% of the total BOM cost of $178. The RF PA was the biggest single line item at $2.48. The baseband value was $49.84. In 2007, a comparative device, admittedly quadband rather than triband would be about 6 dollars costed on a similar volume and the RF BOM would still be about 7% of the total bill of materials. Generally, vendor forecasts in 2007 suggested that the RF BOM cost would 