5G Expansion Enters New Phase: Rising Demand for Aluminum Mylar Shielding Tape in Coaxial Cables

As the global 5G rollout enters its second phase of deep deployment, the demand for high-performance coaxial cable shielding materials is climbing steadily. According to industry estimates, global 5G base station deployments exceeded 7 million units by mid-2026, with China accounting for more than 4.5 million. This massive infrastructure expansion is driving upstream demand for aluminum mylar tape — also known as AL/PET shielding tape — a critical component in coaxial and control cable manufacturing.

The Role of Aluminum Mylar Tape in Coaxial Cables

A standard coaxial cable consists of four layers: inner conductor, dielectric insulation, outer conductor (shielding), and jacket. The shielding layer is responsible for preventing electromagnetic interference (EMI) from degrading signal quality — a function that becomes increasingly critical at the higher frequencies used in 5G and 5G-Advanced (5G-A) networks.

Aluminum mylar tape combines an aluminum foil layer for conductivity and shielding with a polyester (PET) film layer for mechanical reinforcement. In cable production, the tape is applied longitudinally around the cable core, often in combination with a braided metal shield, to form a dual-layer protection system. The aluminum layer delivers excellent EMI attenuation across a wide frequency range, while the PET backing provides the tensile strength and flexibility needed for high-speed longitudinal wrapping processes.

Industry Trend: Base Station Miniaturization Demands Thinner Materials

A notable development in 2026 is the ongoing miniaturization of 5G-A base stations. Compared with earlier 5G generations, 5G-A equipment features smaller form factors and tighter internal cabling spaces, imposing stricter diameter constraints on coaxial jumper cables and feeder lines.

This trend is pushing aluminum mylar tape toward thinner profiles. While mainstream specifications remain at 9μm aluminum / 12μm PET or 9μm aluminum / 15μm PET combinations, thinner variants — such as 7μm aluminum / 7μm PET — are increasingly undergoing validation by cable manufacturers targeting next-generation base station applications. The thinner construction not only reduces overall cable diameter but also contributes to material cost savings, aligning with equipment makers' cost-optimization goals.

A key technical concern is whether reducing aluminum thickness compromises shielding effectiveness. In practice, shielding performance depends not only on foil thickness but also on coverage rate, grounding design, and tape application quality. High-grade AL/PET shielding tapes using 1060 or 1235 series aluminum foil with optimized lamination bond strength can maintain shielding attenuation levels of 40dB or above even in thin-profile constructions.

Parallel Growth in Industrial Control Cables

Beyond telecommunications, the industrial automation sector is generating additional demand for aluminum shielding materials. Servo motor encoder cables, sensor signal lines, and PLC communication buses all require effective EMI protection. In high-density wiring environments such as industrial robots and CNC machine tools, control cables need shielding tapes with superior flexibility and bending fatigue resistance — placing higher demands on the peel strength and lamination uniformity between the aluminum and PET layers.

Supply Chain Shift: Domestic Alternatives Gain Traction

Historically, a portion of the high-end cable shielding materials market was served by Japanese and Korean suppliers. However, Chinese manufacturers have significantly closed the technology gap in recent years. Domestic aluminum mylar tape now matches international standards in aluminum purity control, lamination uniformity, and slitting precision, while offering shorter lead times, flexible minimum order quantities, and responsive technical support. An increasing number of domestic cable producers are shifting procurement toward local suppliers.

When evaluating aluminum mylar tape suppliers, cable manufacturers should focus on: consistency of aluminum foil thickness tolerance (typically within ±1μm), tensile strength of the PET substrate, edge quality after slitting (no burrs or debris), and the supplier's ability to support rapid prototyping and small-batch trial production.

Hongcheng Technology, a specialized manufacturer of aluminum composite materials in China, has extensive experience producing AL/PET shielding tape and aluminum mylar tape. The company offers customizable combinations of aluminum thickness (7μm/9μm/12μm) and PET substrate thickness, supports multiple slitting width specifications, and partners with cable manufacturers for fast sample validation and scalable delivery.

Contact Us Tel/WeChat: +86 13758223270 Email: wendy@hcdxcl.com.cn