The RF Week: Axiro’s Expansion, Ericsson’s New India R&D Unit, Verizon Layoffs, Qualcomm’s AI Push
Your Weekly Dose of RF News You Shouldn’t Miss!
Good morning Subscriber,
Happy weekend, and welcome to another edition of The RF Week.
This week’s top story: Bengaluru-based Axiro Semiconductor has expanded globally with the inauguration of its new RF and mmWave design office in Turkey — a major step in the company’s international growth and its mission to build world-class semiconductor technologies for global markets.
Also in this edition of The RF Week:
Ericsson’s India Play
Verizon’s Historic Layoffs.
Qualcomm’s AI push in Saudi Arabia
Prem’s Notes Series launch.
Stay tuned — let’s dive in.
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Axiro Semiconductor Expands Globally with New RF & mmWave Design Office in Turkey.
Bengaluru-based Axiro Semiconductor, a rapidly growing RFIC design company, has inaugurated its new international office in Turkey — marking a major milestone in its global expansion journey.
The new 117 sq. metre facility will host a team of eight engineers and strengthen Axiro’s capabilities across RF, mmWave, and next-generation wireless technologies, while extending its presence deeper into the Middle East and surrounding markets.
This strategic expansion highlights Axiro’s long-term vision:
To scale operations beyond India
To tap into diverse, high-quality engineering talent
To support a growing global portfolio of advanced semiconductor solutions
With existing offices in San Diego (USA) and Shanghai (China), this new move solidifies Axiro’s transition from a fast-growing Indian RFIC startup into a global semiconductor design player.
By building international teams and strengthening cross-border collaboration, Axiro reaffirms its mission of delivering world-class RF and connectivity innovations from India to global industries.
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Ericsson Expands India Presence with New 5G/5G-Advanced RAN Software R&D Unit in Bengaluru.
Sweden’s Ericsson has announced the launch of a new RAN Software R&D centre in Bengaluru, signalling a deeper commitment to India’s role in global 5G innovation.
The new unit will focus on developing 5G and 5G Advanced software for Ericsson’s flagship baseband platform, working closely with the company’s worldwide RAN teams. This expansion enables Ericsson to tap into India’s robust engineering talent pool, thereby accelerating its roadmap for next-generation wireless technologies.
This move builds on Ericsson’s existing R&D hubs in Chennai and Gurugram, and aligns with its broader India investments — including advancements in ASIC development, partnerships with Airtel, Volvo Group, and collaboration with IIT Madras on future telecom technologies.
By anchoring a key part of its global software development in India, Ericsson is not just enhancing its own 5G capabilities — it’s also contributing to India’s growing ecosystem for advanced wireless, AI-driven networks, and next-generation telecom solutions.
RF Education Series Launched for RF Engineers Looking to Upskill & Switch Roles at Prem’s Notes.
A large segment of the RF community—especially early-career engineers—often asks the same question:
“I’m working as an RF Engineer and want to switch jobs or move into a design role. What online RF courses or certifications should I take?”
Many of these professionals are motivated, hardworking, and eager to put in extra hours after their day jobs to advance their skills, explore new opportunities, and accelerate their careers. Recognising this need, Prem’s Notes has launched a dedicated initiative to guide them.
🌐 Introducing the RF Education Series
The RF Education Series is a new, structured guide designed to help RF engineers discover the best online learning pathways—covering university programs, certification tracks, and specialised RF courses suitable for working professionals.
This series will break down:
The top online RF programs available globally
Upskilling pathways for RF Design, Validation, Test, and Systems roles
Cost, curriculum depth, duration, and real-world relevance
Whether a course is worth the time and investment for career transitions
Guidance on employer-sponsored learning and ROI for engineers
🎓 First Edition Released
The first edition features one of the most reputable and flexible RF programs available today—ideal for engineers aiming to strengthen fundamentals or move into advanced design roles.
📘 Read the full article:
https://premsnotes.substack.com/p/rf-education-10-best-online-rf-engineering
The RF Education Series aims to empower the community with clarity, direction, and high-quality information—helping engineers upskill confidently and take the next step in their careers.
Verizon to Lay Off 15,000 Employees in Largest Workforce Reduction in Company History.
Verizon is preparing to cut around 15,000 jobs—nearly 15% of its total workforce—in what will be the telecom giant’s biggest layoff to date. The move is part of a sweeping restructuring effort led by new CEO Dan Schulman, aimed at tightening operations and repositioning the company amid growing competitive pressures.
The decision comes at a challenging time for the U.S. telecom industry, as Verizon continues to lag behind competitors like T-Mobile and AT&T in customer growth, 5G monetisation, and financial performance. The layoffs will primarily affect non-union management roles, while unionised employees are expected to remain largely untouched.
As part of the overhaul, Verizon will also convert 180–200 company-owned retail stores into franchise locations—a shift that transfers affected employees off Verizon’s direct payroll and reduces long-term operating costs.
This aggressive restructuring underlines Verizon’s urgency to rebuild momentum, improve margins, and regain market traction as it navigates one of the most competitive periods in the U.S. telecom sector.
Qualcomm Partners with HUMAIN to Launch New AI Engineering Centre in Saudi Arabia.
Qualcomm and HUMAIN have announced a new Qualcomm AI Engineering Center in Riyadh, set to open in December 2025, marking a major step in Qualcomm’s global AI expansion strategy.
The center will play a key role in supporting HUMAIN’s rollout of 200 MW of next-generation data center capacity, powered by Qualcomm’s Cloud AI hardware — including the AI200 and AI250 rack-level systems — beginning in 2026.
The engineering hub will focus on:
Developing & deploying optimized edge-to-cloud AI services
Onboarding enterprise-scale AI models
Helping customers integrate and scale AI workloads efficiently
By being co-located with HUMAIN in Riyadh, the center enables tighter integration between hardware, software, deployment teams, and customers — improving time-to-market for Qualcomm’s AI platforms.
This collaboration also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which seeks to establish the kingdom as a global leader in AI, cloud, and digital transformation.
Although not directly tied to RF or wireless engineering, the announcement illustrates Qualcomm’s accelerating push into AI datacenter infrastructure, signaling a diversification strategy beyond smartphones and large OEM dependencies like Apple.
That’s all for this week. I hope you enjoyed reading this edition of The RF Week.
What stood out as the key highlight for you?
Share your thoughts in the comments — I’d love to hear what caught your attention.
Signing off,
Prem 🚀📡
Axiro expanding into Turkey is intresting timing with all the geopolitcal shifts in the region. RF design talent pool there has been growing quitely for a few years now.