2024 Research Package: LTE, 5G NR CBRS & Private Networks

The “CBRS & Private LTE/5G Networks: 2023 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts” report package comprises two extensive reports delving into CBRS and private cellular networks:

LTE & 5G NR-Based CBRS Networks: 2023 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts
Private LTE & 5G Network Ecosystem: 2023 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts

This comprehensive report package offers a thorough evaluation of both CBRS and private LTE/5G markets, covering the entire value chain, market catalysts, barriers to adoption, enabling technologies, operational and business models, industry sectors, application scenarios, emerging trends, future projections, standardization efforts, spectrum availability and allocation, regulatory frameworks, case studies, profiles of ecosystem participants, and strategic insights. Additionally, the report package provides forecasts for network infrastructure and terminal equipment from 2023 to 2030.

The accompanying Excel datasheet suite contains quantitative data from all numerical forecasts presented in both reports. Moreover, two databases are included, tracking over 800 LTE/5G NR-based CBRS network deployments and more than 6,400 global private LTE/5G initiatives.

After years of regulatory, standardization, and technical groundwork, the United States’ dynamic three-tiered framework for coordinating shared use of the 3.5 GHz CBRS band has emerged as a commercial triumph. While the shared spectrum arrangement is technology-neutral, the 3GPP cellular ecosystem stands out in CBRS adoption, with LTE and 5G NR air interface technologies dominating more than half of all active Citizens Broadband Radio Service Devices (CBSDs).

LTE-based CBRS network rollouts have gained significant traction, spanning hundreds of thousands of cell sites across GAA (General Authorized Access) and PAL (Priority Access License) spectrum tiers. These deployments support diverse use cases such as mobile network densification, rural FWA (Fixed Wireless Access), MVNO offload, in-building coverage enhancement through neutral host small cells, and private cellular networks catering to IIoT, enterprise connectivity, distance learning, and smart city initiatives.

Commercial deployments of 5G NR network equipment in the CBRS band have commenced, paving the way for advanced application scenarios with more demanding performance requirements. Examples include Industry 4.0 applications like connected production machinery, mobile robotics, AGVs, and AR-assisted troubleshooting.

Illustrative examples of 5G NR-based CBRS network installations range from BMW Group’s industrial-grade 5G network for autonomous logistics at its Spartanburg plant to the U.S. Navy’s standalone private 5G network at NAS Whidbey Island. Additionally, ongoing 5G RAN buildouts by Comcast and Charter, as well as Verizon’s planned activation of 5G NR-equipped CBRS small cells, signify the growing momentum in this domain.

The publisher estimates that annual investments in LTE and 5G NR-based CBRS RAN, mobile core, and transport network infrastructure reached $900 million in 2023. With the expanding array of Band 48/n48-compatible end-user devices, the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 20% over the next three years, surpassing $1.5 billion in annual spending by 2026. This growth will be fueled by private cellular networks, neutral host deployments, fixed wireless broadband networks, and 5G buildouts enhancing the economics of cable operators’ MVNO services.

The global market for private cellular networks is also on an upward trajectory, targeting diverse use cases across industries. This includes localized wireless systems for dedicated connectivity in various settings, regional/national private wireless broadband networks, and rapidly deployable systems for emergency communications.

The publisher estimates that global spending on private 5G and 4G LTE network infrastructure for vertical industries will grow at a CAGR of approximately 18% over the next three years, surpassing $6.4 billion by the end of 2026. A significant portion of this investment will be directed towards standalone private 5G networks, supporting the Industry 4.0 revolution for digitization and automation.

This unprecedented growth trajectory is poised to position private cellular networks as a substantial equipment ecosystem akin to public mobile operator infrastructure by the late 2020s.

Key Topics Covered:

Report 1: The Private LTE & 5G Network Ecosystem: 2023 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts