As evidenced by last week’s extravaganza in Honolulu, the International Microwave Symposium remains the premiere event of the RF/microwave industry.

Certainly, with its theme of riding the wave of the Fifth Generation (5G) of wireless technology, many of those personal interactions at the 2017 IMS will be about how to make something that was once one or two of a kind, such as millimeter-wave components, and make possibly tens and thousands of them for lower costs. With its dreamlike setting, the 2017 IMS marks a transition for this industry, towards potentially large-volume markets such as 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) that will require a rethinking of manufacturing and testing methods in order to remain competitive. 5G has taken the place of millimeter-wave technology as that next great thing that is “right around the corner.” Except now, millimeter-wave technology will be one of the enabling technologies for 5G.