Written by James Blackman for RCR Wireless News
A new report from analyst group SNS Telecom & IT, based out of Dubai, says global spending on private LTE and 5G network infrastructure for vertical industries will grow at a CAGR of approximately 18 percent between 2023 and 2026, eventually accounting for more than $6.4 billion by the end of 2026. As much as 40 percent ($2.8 billion) of these investments, it estimates, will be directed towards standalone private 5G networks for Industry 4.0.
It said this “unprecedented” growth, with most of this Industry 4.0 spend going to automate discrete and process manufacturing industries, is likely to “transform private LTE and 5G networks into an almost parallel equipment ecosystem to public mobile operator infrastructure in terms of market size by the late 2020s”. But traditional mobile network operators (MNOs) are squarely in the picture, it said, alongside a new breed of “private network operator”.
A statement said: “By capitalising on extensive licensed spectrum holdings, infrastructure assets and cellular expertise, national MNOs have retained a strong foothold in the market. With an expanded focus on vertical opportunities in the 5G era, [they] are actively involved in diverse projects extending from localised 5G networks for… industrial and enterprise environments to nationwide public safety broadband networks.”
