Recognizing the pervasiveness of Wi-Fi technology, Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) said it plans to buy Wi-Fi chip maker Atheros Communications Inc. (ATHR) for $3.1 billion. Qualcomm said the acquisition will help it expand to new businesses beyond cellular. Both stocks were slightly up in trading this morning.
Wi-Fi connectivity is increasingly popular in portable consumer and enterprise electronics, including the digital home. Also, wireless operators, which earlier dismissed Wi-Fi solutions because the technology runs in the unlicensed spectrum bands, have started to embrace Wi-Fi as a way to offload traffic from the macrocellular network.
To see the full story, click here.
Qualcomm pays $3.1B for Wi-Fi chip maker Atheros
ABOUT AUTHOR