Over 1,148 organisations deploying Private Mobile Networks in at least one location
Digital transformation of vertical industries continues as organisations scale from single-site to multi-site deployment
New data from a GSA report suggests that the demand for private mobile networks based on 4G LTE and increasingly 5G technologies is being driven by the escalating data, security, digitisation and mobility requirements of modern enterprise and government entities. The Private Mobile Networks – Market Status Update reports that 74 countries globally have at least one private mobile network with Manufacturing, Education, Device Testing and Lab as a service, and Oil & Gas leading the verticals with the highest growth based on 1,148 customer references in Q1 2023 up from 1,077 in Q4 2022.
In Q1 2023, GSA’s Private Mobile Networks ‘Working Group Partner’ members reported two-thirds of the customer references they provided are not reported elsewhere, making this program the most comprehensive PMN customer database globally.
Of the 1,148 referenced, LTE is used in 853 of the catalogued customers deploying private mobile networks for which GSA has data. 5G is being deployed in 505, 48% of these customers, with a focus on long-term trials and deployments within educational and testbed/validation facilities.
Typically, there is a strong, positive correlation between the number of private mobile networks being deployed and the countries with dedicated spectrum. The USA, Germany, China, UK, and Japan are the top five countries deploying Private Mobile Networks worldwide.
The summary report, Private Mobile Networks May 2023 Summary (May 2023), can be downloaded here: https://gsacom.com/paper/private-mobile-networks-may-2023-summary/ (registration required). The full report, available to GSA Members and Associates, includes additional detail on dedicated locally licensed/leased spectrum for Private Networks and a full list of identified Private Mobile Network customers, by country/territory.
Organisations of all types are combining connected systems with big data and analytics to transform operations, increase automation and efficiency or deliver new services to their users. Wireless networking with LTE or 5G enables these transformations to take place even in the most dynamic, remote, or highly secure environments, while offering the scale benefits of a technology that has already been deployed worldwide.
“Private mobile networks are often part of a broader digital transformation program, including cloud networking and advanced technologies like AI, machine learning, and data analytics. These networks increasingly utilise mobile connectivity to enhance their capabilities. GSA data clearly shows that there is a considerable and diverse group of market participants who are actively involved in creating and providing solutions for private mobile networks. With a wealth of opportunities available and diverse regulatory strategies in place to facilitate LTE and 5G private usage, significant and promising progress in the market is clearly on the horizon over the next few years,” said Joe Barrett, President of Global mobile Suppliers Association. “Drawing on extensive unique and non-public data provided by the members of our Private Mobile Networks Working Group Partner, GSA will continue to track the development and expansion of deployments across all industries and regions.”
The GSA research team will share the findings of the latest report in a GSA Snapshot Webinar on Thursday 8th June at 14:00 (UK time). Topics covered will include countries setting spectrum aside for local private networks, Spectrum bands being made available by regulators, the vertical markets actively deploying private networks, and how local and wide area private networks are being deployed. Please register for the webinar here: https://gsacom.com/webinar/gsa-snapshot-private-mobile-networks-2023/
The dataset and report are based on public and non-public information provided by Executive Members of GSA’s Private Mobile Networks SIG, including Airspan, Ericsson, Keysight Technologies, Mavenir, Nokia and OneLayer.
About the data
GSA counts customer references as unique organisations/government entities deploying one or more 3GPP-based 4G LTE or 5G networks in a given country that are worth more than €100,000. 65% of references included in this GSA database are non-public and unique to this database, submitted by GSA PMN SIG members. The number of non-public references can be higher for certain industries, with many references for Military & Defence, Maritime, and Power Plants, not visible in the public domain. The Working Group Partner (SIG) now includes a total of 9 members with the addition of OneLayer this quarter.