Broadcom Sees OK Chip Supply in 2022

Broadcom CEO Hock Tan stood somewhat apart from other chipmakers when he expressed guarded optimism on a call Thursday for fiscal Q3 ended Aug. 1 that his company’s supply will meet demand into 2022. Broadcom has “a pretty good supply availability lineup for 2022, and we feel pretty OK about that,” said Tan. “I won't say great, but in this environment, all things considered, we're feeling quite good.” Tan wouldn’t bite when asked about industry speculation that Broadcom’s top wafer supplier, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., would soon impose substantial price increases. TSMC didn't comment Friday. Q3 Broadcom revenue of $910 million in fiscal Q3 grew 23% year on year, fueled mainly by the “2X growth” in Wi-Fi 6E deployments, plus double-digit increases in “next-generation fiber,” said Tan. “We see service providers like AT&T, British Telecom, and even Deutsche Telekom, deploying in increasing volumes next-generation last-mile fiber connectivity to homes in the U.S. and globally.”