janga
4 months ago
USA & CHINA
As they jostle for supremacy in semiconductor chips and green technology, America and China have been locked into an increasingly disruptive game of tit-for-tat trade warfare. They have unleashed a panoply of export controls, tariffs, and blacklisting against one another, and their allies, as a Financial Times series has highlighted. The latest salvo comes from Beijing. From September 15, it will impose export controls on antimony, an obscure metal used in armour-piercing ammunition, night-vision goggles and precision optics. It follows curbs implemented last year on shipments of germanium and gallium, which are needed for chips and military communications. China produces about 60 per cent of rare earth elements, and processes close to 90 per cent. Beijing cites “national security” as the reason for its measures, but its command over essential raw materials is ultimately its leverage over Washington in the trade war. America’s muscle comes from blocking exports of advanced semiconductor technologies to China, and hindering Chinese manufacturers’ ability to sell into its market. The cycle of retaliation has buffeted their economies, and set back global growth and innovation. It shows little sign of cooling. That means adapting to the new era of fragmented supply chains is necessary to cushion the economic fallout. For instance, China’s Huawei has worked with domestic chipmaker SMIC to boost cutting-edge chip development. There are also signs that Chinese buyers are finding ways to circumvent US restrictions on advanced processors. The US and its allies have set up initiatives like the Mineral Security Partnership to improve critical resource collaboration. But such forums need to move quickly from dialogue to action. Businesses fear Beijing will keep adding new critical metals to its restrictions, and are concerned that chip production will suffer under higher prices and without the right inputs. Stepping up mining and refining efforts is key. China dominates both, but there are still significant critical metal reserves outside the country to exploit, including in the west. Nyrstar, owned by commodities trading group Trafigura, reckons a zinc smelter facility in Tennessee could meet 80 per cent of annual US demand for gallium and germanium. Higher commodity prices, on the back of Beijing’s controls, should also make extraction more attractive. But western governments need to make it easier for the industry to operate. Price volatility makes extraction risky, and below-cost exports from China are difficult to compete against. Streamlining onerous planning laws and chemical regulations across countries would help, alongside adopting joint environmental standards. Better co-ordination on financial incentives is also warranted. Price insurance and public-private partnerships can help de-risk projects for the rarest metals, while long-term offtake agreements can provide security of demand. Some critical metals can be costly and hard to recycle or to substitute, but supporting strategic research and development remains important, too. For example, gallium can be extracted from coal fly ash, a waste product from coal combustion. Silicon can also be a less-expensive substitute for germanium in certain electronic applications. For decades, governments in the west lapped up cheap raw materials from China, while Beijing invested heavily in mining, refining and exploration. The economic hostility between the US and China is highlighting just how short-sighted it was to build up dependence on a single supplier of essential metals. China’s command of the sector looks unassailable. But if America and its allies want to dilute its leverage in the trade war, a more concerted effort on critical minerals would help.
Gamco
6 months ago
French chip designer Sequans is looking to recover after the failed takeover bid by Renesas Electronics earlier this year.
Sequans is cutting its R&D to recover from the failed takeover bid by Renesas to focus on an IoT Reduced capacity (RedCap) chip.
The takeover bid failed as a result of issue over debt, and the company has frozen debt repayment to Lynrock Lake, Nokomis and Renesas, until August 26.
“We have made significant progress on multiple fronts, beginning with the extension of our standstill agreements with our debt holders until the end of August and the signature of a $15 million licensing agreement for our Monarch2 platform with a new partner,” said Georges Karam, CEO of Sequans.
“Additionally, we are optimizing our R&D expenses by suspending the development of our 5G fixed wireless product to focus on low-power 5G for massive IoT applications, specifically RedCap and eRedCap. Furthermore, we are making progress in discussions for a strategic transaction that would dramatically improve our balance sheet.”
This follows several loss making quarters. Revenue was $6.0 million, an increase of 26.3% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 but down 49.3% on the first quarter of 2023. The operating loss was $8.5 million compared to operating loss of $12.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and an operating loss of $4.0 million in the first quarter of 2023.
To cut costs, Sequans has suspended the development of its 5G Taurus product for Fixed Wireless Access applications. The shift to RedCap and eRedCap is expected to significantly reduce R&D expenses as part of the Company’s plan to achieve break-even in 2025.
Extending the debt maturities grants the Company additional time to secure a long-term solution and negotiate a strategic transaction that serves the interests of all its stakeholders, says the company.
Sequans announced today a $15m manufacturing licensing agreement for its Monarch2 LTE platform with a leading technology company. The deal includes an initial payment of $15 million, with the opportunity for additional revenue in subsequent years.
The agreement grants the license partner the right to manufacture and market the Monarch 2 chip under their brand name.
Cutting the Taurus project will reduce revenue recognition from the license agreement with Sequans’ Chinese strategic partner by $10m this year, but should be offset by revenue from the Monarch2 manufacturing license agreement.
“We are pleased to enter into this licensing agreement with a leading technology company, which underscores the exceptional value of our Monarch 2 technology for massive IoT cellular applications,” said Karam.
“This partnership not only expands our revenue potential but also creates significant mutual benefit for both organizations and paves the way for future collaborative opportunities. In addition to our product offering, Sequans has a proven track record of generating revenue through licensing agreements, and we intend to enhance and expand this strategy.”
Sequans confirms that it continues to be in active discussions for a long-term strategic transaction that would address its debt maturities and significantly strengthen its balance sheet.
www.sequans.com
https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/sequans-cuts-rd-to-recover-from-failed-takeover-bid/
Gamco
8 months ago
LTE-M/NB-IoT Cellular IoT Connectivity for Critical Asset Tracking
Author of the article:
Newsfile
Published Apr 23, 2024 • Last updated 12 hours ago
Paris, France–(Newsfile Corp. – April 23, 2024) – Sequans Communications, S.A. (NYSE: SQNS), leader in 4G/5G cellular IoT chips and modules, announced that Abeeway, a subsidiary of Actility, global leader in LPWAN solutions, has adopted its Monarch 2 GM02S module to provide low power cellular IoT connectivity for a new version of the Abeeway Compact Tracker that now combines LTE-M and NB-IoT connectivity from Sequans with GPS, Wi-Fi Sniffer, Bluetooth and LoRa technologies in a single, highly accurate tracker.
https://www.pembrokeobserver.com/newsfile/206515-abeeway-selects-sequans-low-power-ltemnbiot-cellular-iot-connectivity-for-critical-asset-tracking
Gamco
8 months ago
Sequans Calliope 2: First Cat 1bis Module Approved by AT&T
Newsfile Corp.
Thu, Apr 18, 2024, 8:00 AM EDT
Approval extends to FirstNet, built with AT&T
Paris, France--(Newsfile Corp. - April 18, 2024) - Sequans Communications, S.A. (NYSE: SQNS), leader in 4G/5G cellular IoT chips and modules, announced that its Calliope 2 Cat 1bis platform, which includes the Calliope 2 chip and the GC02S1 module, has received modular approval for use on the AT&T commercial mobility network and the FirstNet® network.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sequans-calliope-2-first-cat-120000737.html
Investolator
4 years ago
Sequans and e-peas Demonstrate Energy Harvesting LTE-M/NB-IoT Connectivity Solution
January 11 2021 - 07:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Alert
PARIS and MONT-SAINT-GUIBERT, Belgium, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS), a leading maker of 5G/4G chips and modules for massive, broadband and critical IoT, and e-peas, supplier of advanced energy harvesting and processing semiconductor solutions, announced the demonstration of a joint solution combining e-peas' AEM energy harvesting IC (integrated circuit) with Sequans' Monarch LTE-M/NB-IoT platform to provide a self-powered cellular IoT connectivity solution, in a very small footprint, that can operate indefinitely without batteries.
"Energy harvesting technology is ushering in a new era where IoT devices will no longer have to run on batteries," said Didier Dutronc, EVP and head of Sequans' massive IoT business unit. "This will have a profound impact on the IoT market and will greatly increase the number and types of applications that can be connected to the IoT, extending it to those applications where direct power connection or manual intervention to change batteries is not possible. In addition to the significant cost and practical advantages of this, this technology also allows for a more sustainable IoT world through elimination of the production and recycling of billions of batteries every year. Energy harvesting offers one of the most exciting visions of the IoT future, and through our partnership with e-peas, a leader in advanced energy harvesting solutions, we aim to bring this vision to reality."
The Sequans/e-peas demonstration shows the e-peas AEM10941 IC transferring energy from a photovoltaic harvester to a storage element and then to Sequans' Monarch LTE-M/NB-IoT module where it powers a sensor device measuring power, light, and humidity. The demo kit is supplied with a small indoor DSC photovoltaic cell that can power many types of IoT applications using indoor light and LTE connectivity. In an outdoor environment, the size of the photovoltaic cell can be reduced to allow for energy-autonomous devices in an even smaller form factor. In a typical application, such as in farming or industry, device sensors collect data (humidity, temperature, air quality) while the lighting environment is loading the capacitor. With the combination of the e-peas AEM10941 IC and Sequans' Monarch module, the collected data can be sent up to 8 times a day, with no need of batteries using a 15 cm2 indoor PV cell under 500 Lux, making the devices completely energy self-sufficient and CO2 neutral.
"We are excited to collaborate with Sequans on this solution combining energy harvesting with IoT connectivity," said Christian Ferrier, chief marketing officer, e-peas. "Not only do we show the viability of energy harvesting technology, but we show how IoT companies can build maintenance-free devices that can operate autonomously, which has a huge positive impact on sustainability, total cost of ownership, and device longevity."
Sequans and e-peas are offering a reference design with schematics for IoT companies, enabling them to design and build their own connected IoT devices using energy harvesting technology.
Sequans is participating in CES 2021, January 11-14, where it will have an online exhibit, including new product information, and the ability to network and set meetings with Sequans' professionals. For more information or to request a meeting please contact us at events@sequans.com
About e-peas
e-peas develops and markets disruptive ultra-low power semiconductor technology. This enables industrial and IoT wireless product designers to substantially extend battery lifespans and eliminate the heavy call-out costs of replacing batteries, without in any way compromising on reliability. Relying on 15 years of research and patented intellectual property, the company's products increase the amount of harvested energy and drastically reduce the energy consumption of all power consuming blocks within wireless sensor nodes. Headquartered in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, with additional offices in Switzerland, USA and presence in Taiwan, e-peas offers a portfolio of energy harvesting power management interface ICs, microcontrollers and sensor solutions. Visit e-peas online at www.e-peas.com. For sales and support, contact e-peas at this link.
About Sequans
Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) is a leading developer and provider of 5G and 4G chips and modules for massive, broadband, and critical IoT. For 5G/4G massive IoT applications, Sequans provides a comprehensive product portfolio based on its flagship Monarch LTE-M/NB-IoT and Calliope Cat 1 chip platforms, featuring industry-leading low power consumption, a large set of integrated functionalities, and global deployment capability. For 5G/4G broadband and critical IoT applications, Sequans offers a product portfolio based on its Cassiopeia Cat 4/Cat 6 4G and high-end Taurus 5G chip platforms, optimized for low-cost residential, enterprise, and industrial applications. Founded in 2003, Sequans is based in Paris, France with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Finland, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Visit Sequans online at www.sequans.com.
Forward Looking Statements
View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sequans-and-e-peas-demonstrate-energy-harvesting-lte-mnb-iot-connectivity-solution-301203379.html
SOURCE Sequans Communications S.A.
Copyright 2021 PR Newswire
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