TECHNICAL
forward-thinking approach to spectrum licensing for private wireless networks.
process industries, including multi-site, multi-national deployments by some of the most well-known household brand names. Taking into account dedicated 4G/5G network equipment for public cellular coverage enhancement in offices, buildings and public venues, where private network-based neutral host solutions are beginning to replace DAS and single operator small cell installations, the market will be collectively worth more than $9 billion in annual investments by 2027 and as much as $17 billion by 2030.
municipalities are taking advantage of shared and local area licensed spectrum to implement their own dedicated 4G/5G networks for smart city services and distance learning in underserved school districts. Similarly, higher education institutions are embracing private networks to improve wireless coverage, public safety and campus operations, as are healthcare facilities, where reliable connectivity is crucial for critical care, patient monitoring and administrative systems. Private 4G/5G networks are also being deployed at sports and special event venues in support of enhanced fan engagement, professional TV broadcasting, POS (Point-of-Sale) and other backend operations. Other vertical sectors where private networks are being adopted extend from retail and hospitality to agriculture, forestry and construction. From a horizontal perspective, enterprise RAN (Radio Access Network) systems for indoor coverage enhancement are relatively common and end-to-end private networks are starting to be implemented in office buildings and other indoor spaces. Market sizing & forecast SNS Telecom & IT estimates that global spending on private 4G/5G network infrastructure for vertical industries will grow at a CAGR of approximately 20% between 2024 and 2027, eventually exceeding $6 billion annually. From a longer-term perspective, the market is projected to grow at an even higher rate beyond 2027, reaching nearly $12 billion by 2030. Much of this growth will be underpinned by highly localised 5G networks for the digitisation and automation of manufacturing and
Quantifiable benefits
Some private 4G/5G network installations have progressed to a stage where quantifiable benefits – particularly efficiency gains, cost savings and worker safety – are becoming increasingly evident.
Efficiency Gains
End user organisations have credited private 4G/5G networks with productivity and efficiency gains for specific manufacturing, quality control and intralogistics processes in the range of 20 to 90%. An online retailer has reduced connection timeouts by an impressive 70% since migrating AGV communications from unlicensed Wi-Fi to private 5G networks at its logistics parks. Likewise, an electric automaker’s private 5G implementation has facilitated in overcoming up to 90% of the overcycle issues for a particular process in the general assembly shop of one of its factories. As another noteworthy example, an aircraft maintenance service provider has completely eliminated the need for its aviation customers to physically attend servicing by providing private 5G-enabled reliable, high-resolution video access to its workshops.
4G LTE vs. 5G Technology
SNS Telecom & IT expects to see continued investments in both 4G LTE and 5G-based private networks in the coming years, with a steady shift towards standalone 5G technology. By the end of 2027, standalone private 5G networks will account for more than two third of the total market, fuelled by increasingly sophisticated application scenarios requiring support for deterministic networking, extreme reliability, precise positioning and other advanced capabilities.
Regional Segmentation
The Asia Pacific region will continue to lead investments as newer local spectrum-enabled deployments in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia narrow the gap with China’s large-scale private 5G installations. Thanks to supportive regulatory frameworks, the United States and Europe are not far behind, collectively accounting for close to half of the global market. In the rest of the world, Brazil has emerged as one of the fastest growing national markets owing to the country’s
Cost Savings
Private 4G/5G networks have also been instrumental in reducing costs. A private 5G network at an intermodal rail terminal has reduced the facility’s personnel- related operating expenses by 40% through automation and remote-controlled
Annual Spending on Private 4G/5G Networks ($ Billion) Source: Private LTE & 5G Network Ecosystem: 2024 – 2030 (https://www.snstelecom.com/private-lte)
May 2025 Volume 47 No.2
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