Broadcom buys 4G chipmaker for $316m

Broadcom said on Wednesday it will acquire Beceem Communications, which provides 4G chips that support both Long-Term Evolution and WiMax.

The $316m (£197m) deal comes as a bevy of chipmakers aim to set themselves up for 4G networks. Intel chief executive Paul Otellini said on Tuesday that the company is working to add 3G and ultimately Long-Term Evolution (LTE) to its Atom chips.

Beceem delivered the first chip to support both LTE and WiMax networks, and the technology can enable downloads of up to 200Mbps. In the US, Beceem's platform powers Clearwire's WiMax network. Broadcom's plan is to combine its 3G, wireless networking and other products with Beceem's 4G.

For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Broadcom sets up for 4G push, buys Beceem on ZDNet.com.