Annual investments in private LTE and 5G network infrastructure are on track to exceed $5 billion by 2021, representing a key revenue opportunity for the telecoms sector, SNS Telecom & IT has predicted.
Due to the 3GPP's standardization of capabilities such as mission critical push to talk (MCPTT) functionality, LTE is increasingly being viewed as an all-inclusive critical communications platform, the research firm said.
Organizations across the critical communications industry, from public safety agencies to railway operators – are making sizeable investments in private LTE and 5G-ready networks to support capabilities ranging from group communications to real-time video surveillance.
Private LTE and 5G networks can ensure guaranteed connectivity for these services while supporting a range of applications and use cases.
Small-scale private LTE and 5G-ready networks are also beginning to be deployed in industrial IoT settings to provide the strict reliability, availability and low latency requirements for connectivity in industrial control and automation systems and to support mobility for robotics and machines.
Finally, private LTE and 5G networks are emerging as the preferred approach for wireless connectivity for enterprises, campuses and public buildings.
Spending on private LTE and 5G networks is accordingly forecast to pass $2.5 billion by the end of 2018 and grow at a CAGR of around 30% between 2018 and 2021, SNS Research said in a new report.