Distributed amplifiers were fabricated successfully with a gain of 8 dB ± 1 dB in the frequency range 5–75 GHz measured on-wafer. The associated input and output matching is better than − 10 dB. To the authors' knowledge this is a new performance record, not only for GaAs based circuits but also for InP based MMICs. The MMICs were realised in coplanar waveguide technology.