What is the expected gross margin for CRNT in the second half of 2020-Q4
ter of the metropolitan and jyou start densifying metropolitan, you see a lot of wireless hauling, front-hauling, backhauling, all sorts of technologies on the table that drive that change.
And we believe this will start to being converted into -- into revenues and significant orders in the second half of the year. Giving a twist on this and the other side are things that we see is also -- and this is the longer range, and you started and then I'm going back to your question around the chipset in the beginning and the longer range. There is a significant underlying change that we see in the technology of the 5G that moves into the openRAN type of architectures, which then change again the network architecture is probably the second half or the other part of the wave of 5G, where that's what we are mainly targeting chipsets for very, very high -- high capacities, and we are almost on a daily basis seeing news around openRAN, an adoption of openRAN, and increasing -- believing people in openRAN as the technology to drive 5G, where I think will play a significant role because it plays to our sweet spot of best of breed. OpenRAN is all about best of breed.
It's our sweet spot with the customers and it plays very nicely for us as we build both the technology and ride that wave.
Ran Vered -- Chief Financial Officer
George, let -- let me just complement what Ira says on the 5G design wins. I think one important note is that few of them are with the customers that we've never done business with, including the one -- the 10th one that Ira just mentioned that we announced that you got there this morning. So, this means we are penetrating to new customers because of our capabilities in regards to 5G.
George Iwanyc -- Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. -- Analyst
So, just following up on that, and then I'll end the questions. When you penetrate a new customer is there much gross margin variability with, you know, ramping up initially versus when they're an existing mature customer?
Ira Palti -- President and Chief Executive Officer
No, not really. Usually, yes, there's a little bit upfront costs of coming in and investing upfront and it's sometimes the -- having people and things but it's not significant on the overall of the business.
George Iwanyc -- Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. -- Analyst
All right. Well, thank you very much.
Ira Palti -- President and Chief Executive Officer
Thank you, George.
Operator
We have a follow-up question from the line of Alex Henderson. Go ahead, please.
Alex Henderson -- Needham & Co. -- Analyst
Great. Thank you. So, it -- it seems pretty clear that when I look at the numbers that, you know, you're -- you're not going to be looking at meaningful amount of profitability in '21, but it also seems pretty clear that the trajectory of revenues is very heavily back-half weighted. So, is it reasonable to think that we're likely to, you know, see losses in the first half of the year and then turn to profitability in the back half of the year as you just start to see some ramp to these contracts and you get some of the taking costs behind you? Is that kind of the way we should be thinking about the, you know, the way the year is going to unfold?
Ira Palti -- President and Chief Executive Officer
I think, what you are putting on the table is reasonable, although from a manager's perspective, driving everyone crazy here to stay profitable and return to profitability. But, I think that your assumption that the first half is a little bit weaker on profitability and might be also in the loss and then in the second half is positive is a reasonable assumption.
Alex Henderson -- Needham & Co. -- Analyst
The first quarter tends to be seasonally the weakest by -- by a long shot. I assume that you're not thinking that you can get back to the March '19, you know, quarterly run rate of $69 million in the first quarter. So, my assumption is as you're so -- that -- that's the weakest quarter of the year. Is that -- is that -- is that the right [Inaudible]?
Ira Palti -- President and Chief Executive Officer
It usually is -- it usually is the w
ter of the metropolitan and jyou start densifying metropolitan, you see a lot of wireless hauling, front-hauling, backhauling, all sorts of technologies on the table that drive that change.
And we believe this will start to being converted into -- into revenues and significant orders in the second half of the year. Giving a twist on this and the other side are things that we see is also -- and this is the longer range, and you started and then I'm going back to your question around the chipset in the beginning and the longer range. There is a significant underlying change that we see in the technology of the 5G that moves into the openRAN type of architectures, which then change again the network architecture is probably the second half or the other part of the wave of 5G, where that's what we are mainly targeting chipsets for very, very high -- high capacities, and we are almost on a daily basis seeing news around openRAN, an adoption of openRAN, and increasing -- believing people in openRAN as the technology to drive 5G, where I think will play a significant role because it plays to our sweet spot of best of breed. OpenRAN is all about best of breed.
It's our sweet spot with the customers and it plays very nicely for us as we build both the technology and ride that wave.
Ran Vered -- Chief Financial Officer
George, let -- let me just complement what Ira says on the 5G design wins. I think one important note is that few of them are with the customers that we've never done business with, including the one -- the 10th one that Ira just mentioned that we announced that you got there this morning. So, this means we are penetrating to new customers because of our capabilities in regards to 5G.
George Iwanyc -- Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. -- Analyst
So, just following up on that, and then I'll end the questions. When you penetrate a new customer is there much gross margin variability with, you know, ramping up initially versus when they're an existing mature customer?
Ira Palti -- President and Chief Executive Officer
No, not really. Usually, yes, there's a little bit upfront costs of coming in and investing upfront and it's sometimes the -- having people and things but it's not significant on the overall of the business.
George Iwanyc -- Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. -- Analyst
 All right. Well, thank you very much.
Ira Palti -- President and Chief Executive Officer
Thank you, George.
Operator
We have a follow-up question from the line of Alex Henderson. Go ahead, please.
Alex Henderson -- Needham & Co. -- Analyst
Great. Thank you. So, it -- it seems pretty clear that when I look at the numbers that, you know, you're -- you're not going to be looking at meaningful amount of profitability in '21, but it also seems pretty clear that the trajectory of revenues is very heavily back-half weighted. So, is it reasonable to think that we're likely to, you know, see losses in the first half of the year and then turn to profitability in the back half of the year as you just start to see some ramp to these contracts and you get some of the taking costs behind you? Is that kind of the way we should be thinking about the, you know, the way the year is going to unfold?
Ira Palti -- President and Chief Executive Officer
I think, what you are putting on the table is reasonable, although from a manager's perspective, driving everyone crazy here to stay profitable and return to profitability. But, I think that your assumption that the first half is a little bit weaker on profitability and might be also in the loss and then in the second half is positive is a reasonable assumption.
Alex Henderson -- Needham & Co. -- Analyst
The first quarter tends to be seasonally the weakest by -- by a long shot. I assume that you're not thinking that you can get back to the March '19, you know, quarterly run rate of $69 million in the first quarter. So, my assumption is as you're so -- that -- that's the weakest quarter of the year. Is that -- is that -- is that the right [Inaudible]?
Ira Palti -- President and Chief Executive Officer
It usually is -- it usually is the w