Samsung Electronics Co. said Friday it has developed a new System-on-a-Chip (SoC) that can improve the performance of 5G networks in collaboration with US chip designer Marvell Technology Ltd.

The South Korean tech giant said the new SoC will be used in the company's network equipment, such as massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and other radios, and plans to introduce the product in the second quarter of the year.

An SoC refers to an integrated circuit that integrates entire or most electric or computer systems, including a central processing unit, memory and input/output ports, onto a single substrate.

Samsung, the world's top memory chip maker and No. 2 foundry firm, said its latest SoC can provide increased capacity and coverage to cellular radios, while decreasing their power consumption and size.

"The new SoC is equipped to support both 5G and 4G networks simultaneously, and it can also save up to 70 percent in chipset power consumption compared with previous solutions," Samsung said.

Samsung and Marvell have been closely working to develop network solutions. Last year, the two sides announced they are joining forces to develop 5G products, including radio architectures.

Their latest collaboration came amid Samsung's aggressive push to expand its presence in the 5G network equipment market.

The company recently signed deals with Japan's top mobile network operator NTT Docomo, as well as Canada's SaskTel and New Zealand's Spark to supply 5G solutions.

Marvell was the world's seventh-largest integrated circuit design firm in 2020 with its revenue at $2.9 billion, according to market researcher TrendForce. (Yonhap)