As the 5G era advances, the cellular communications industry is undergoing a revolutionary paradigm shift, driven by technological innovations, liberal regulatory policies and disruptive business models. One important aspect of this radical transformation is the growing adoption of shared and unlicensed spectrum – frequencies that are not exclusively licensed to a single mobile operator.

Telecommunications regulatory authorities across the globe have either launched or are in the process of releasing innovative frameworks to facilitate the coordinated sharing of licensed spectrum. Examples include but are not limited to the three-tiered CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) spectrum sharing scheme in the United States, Germany’s 3.7-3.8 GHz and 28 GHz licenses for 5G campus networks, United Kingdom’s shared and local access licensing model, France’s vertical spectrum and sub-letting arrangements, Netherlands’ geographically restricted mid-band spectrum assignments, Switzerland’s 3.4 – 3.5 GHz band for NPNs (Non-Public Networks), Finland’s 2.3 GHz and 26 GHz licenses for local 4G/5G networks, Sweden’s 3.7 GHz and 26 GHz permits, Norway’s regulation of local networks in the 3.8-4.2 GHz band, Poland’s spectrum assignment for local government units and enterprises, Bahrain’s private 5G network licenses, Japan’s 4.6-4.9 GHz and 28 GHz local 5G network licenses, South Korea’s e-Um 5G allocations in the 4.7 GHz and 28 GHz bands, Taiwan’s provision of 4.8-4.9 GHz spectrum for private 5G networks, Hong Kong’s LWBS (Localized Wireless Broadband System) licenses, Australia’s apparatus licensing approach, Canada’s planned NCL (Non-Competitive Local) licensing framework and Brazil’s SLP (Private Limited Service) licenses.

Another important development is the growing accessibility of independent cellular networks that operate solely in unlicensed spectrum by leveraging nationally designated license-exempt frequencies such as the GAA (General Authorized Access) tier of the 3.5 GHz CBRS band in the United States and Japan’s 1.9 GHz sXGP (Shared Extended Global Platform) band. In addition, vast swaths of globally and regionally harmonized license-exempt spectrum – most notably, the 600 MHz TVWS (TV White Space), 5 GHz, 6 GHz and 60 GHz bands – are also available worldwide, which can be used for the operation of unlicensed LTE and 5G NR-U (NR in Unlicensed Spectrum) equipment subject to domestic regulations.

Collectively, ground-breaking spectrum liberalization initiatives are catalyzing the rollout of shared and unlicensed spectrum-enabled 5G NR and LTE networks for a diverse array of use cases – ranging from mobile network densification, FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) in rural communities and MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) offload to neutral host infrastructure and private cellular networks for enterprises and vertical industries such as agriculture, education, healthcare, manufacturing, military, mining, oil and gas, public sector, retail and hospitality, sports, transportation and utilities.

This report estimates that global investments in 5G NR and LTE-based RAN (Radio Access Network) infrastructure operating in shared and unlicensed spectrum will account for more than $1.4 Billion by the end of 2023. The market is expected to continue its upward trajectory beyond 2023, growing at a CAGR of approximately 27% between 2023 and 2026 to reach nearly $3 Billion in annual spending by 2026.

The “Shared & Unlicensed Spectrum LTE/5G Network Ecosystem: 2023 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts” report presents a detailed assessment of the shared and unlicensed spectrum LTE/5G network ecosystem, including the value chain, market drivers, barriers to uptake, enabling technologies, key trends, future roadmap, business models, use cases, application scenarios, standardization, spectrum availability and allocation, regulatory landscape, case studies, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. The report also provides global and regional forecasts for shared and unlicensed spectrum LTE/5G RAN infrastructure from 2023 to 2030. The forecasts cover two air interface technologies, two cell type categories, two spectrum licensing models, 15 frequency bands, seven use cases and five regional markets.

The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report.

Topics Covered
The report covers the following topics:
– Introduction to shared and unlicensed spectrum LTE/5G networks
– Value chain and ecosystem structure
– Market drivers and challenges
– Enabling technologies and concepts, including CBRS, LSA/eLSA, local area licensing, AFC, 5G NR-U, LTE-U, LAA/eLAA/FeLAA, sXGP and MulteFire
– Key trends such as the growing prevalence of private cellular networks in industrial and enterprise settings, neutral host small cells, fixed wireless broadband rollouts, MVNO offload and mobile network densification
– Business models, use cases and application scenarios
– Future roadmap of shared and unlicensed spectrum LTE/5G networks
– Spectrum availability, allocation and usage across the global, regional and national domains
– Standardization, regulatory and collaborative initiatives
– 100 case studies of 5G NR and LTE deployments in shared and unlicensed spectrum
– Profiles and strategies of more than 400 ecosystem players
– Strategic recommendations for 5G NR and LTE equipment suppliers, system integrators, service providers, enterprises and vertical industries
– Market analysis and forecasts from 2023 to 2030

Forecast Segmentation
Market forecasts for 5G NR and LTE-based RAN equipment operating in shared and unlicensed spectrum are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:

Air Interface Technologies
– LTE
– 5G NR

Cell Types
– Indoor Small Cells
– Outdoor Small Cells

Spectrum Licensing Models
– Coordinated (Licensed) Shared Spectrum
– Unlicensed (License-Exempt) Spectrum

Frequency Bands
Coordinated (Licensed) Shared Spectrum
– 1.8 GHz
– 2.3-2.6 GHz
– 3.4 GHz
– 3.5 GHz CBRS PAL
– 3.7-3.8 GHz
– 3.8-4.2 GHz
– 4.6-4.9 GHz
– 26/28 GHz
– Other Frequencies

Unlicensed (License-Exempt) Spectrum
– 600 MHz TVWS
– 1.9 GHz sXGP
– 2.4 GHz
– 3.5 GHz CBRS GAA
– 5 GHz
– 6 GHz
– 60 GHz
– Other Frequencies

Use Cases
– Mobile Network Densification
– FWA (Fixed Wireless Access)
– Cable Operators & New Entrants
– Neutral Hosts
– Private Cellular Networks
○ Offices, Buildings & Corporate Campuses
○ Vertical Industries

Regional Markets
– North America
– Asia Pacific
– Europe
– Middle East & Africa
– Latin & Central America

Key Questions Answered
The report provides answers to the following key questions:
– How big is the opportunity for 5G NR and LTE networks operating in shared and unlicensed spectrum?
– What trends, drivers and challenges are influencing its growth?
– What will the market size be in 2026, and at what rate will it grow?
– Which submarkets and regions will see the highest percentage of growth?
– What are the existing and candidate shared/unlicensed spectrum bands for the operation of 5G NR and LTE, and what is the status of their adoption worldwide?
– What are the business models, use cases and application scenarios for shared and unlicensed spectrum?
– How are CBRS and other coordinated shared spectrum frameworks accelerating the uptake of private cellular networks for enterprises and vertical industries?
– How does the integration of shared and unlicensed spectrum relieve capacity constraints faced by traditional mobile operators?
– What opportunities exist for cable operators, neutral hosts, niche service providers and other new entrants?
– How is the commercial availability of 5G NR-based shared and unlicensed spectrum network equipment setting the stage for Industry 4.0 and advanced applications?
– Who are the key ecosystem players, and what are their strategies?
– What strategies should 5G NR and LTE equipment suppliers, system integrators, service providers and other stakeholders adopt to remain competitive?

Key Findings
The report has the following key findings:
– the report estimates that global investments in LTE and 5G NR-based RAN infrastructure operating in shared and unlicensed spectrum will account for more than $1.4 Billion by the end of 2023. The market is expected to continue its upward trajectory beyond 2023, growing at a CAGR of approximately 27% between 2023 and 2026 to reach nearly $3 Billion in annual spending by 2026.
– Breaking away from traditional practices of spectrum assignment for mobile services that predominantly focused on exclusive-use national licenses, telecommunications regulatory authorities across the globe have either launched or are in the process of releasing innovative frameworks to facilitate the coordinated sharing of licensed spectrum. Examples include but are not limited to:
○ The three-tiered CBRS spectrum sharing scheme in the United States
○ Germany’s 3.7-3.8 GHz and 28 GHz licenses for 5G campus networks
○ United Kingdom’s shared and local access licensing model
○ France’s vertical spectrum and sub-letting arrangements
○ Netherlands’ geographically restricted mid-band spectrum assignments
○ Switzerland’s 3.4 – 3.5 GHz band for NPNs (Non-Public Networks)
○ Finland’s 2.3 GHz and 26 GHz licenses for local 4G/5G networks
○ Sweden’s 3.7 GHz and 26 GHz permits, Norway’s regulation of local networks in the 3.8-4.2 GHz band
○ Poland’s spectrum assignment for local government units and enterprises
○ Bahrain’s private 5G network licenses
○ Japan’s 4.6-4.9 GHz and 28 GHz local 5G network licenses
○ South Korea’s e-Um 5G allocations in the 4.7 GHz and 28 GHz bands
○ Taiwan’s provision of 4.8-4.9 GHz spectrum for private 5G networks
○ Hong Kong’s LWBS (Localized Wireless Broadband System) licenses
○ Australia’s apparatus licensing approach
○ Canada’s planned NCL (Non-Competitive Local) licensing framework
○ Brazil’s SLP (Private Limited Service) licenses
– Another important development is the growing accessibility of independent cellular networks that operate solely in unlicensed spectrum by leveraging nationally designated license-exempt frequencies such as the GAA tier of the 3.5 GHz CBRS band in the United States and Japan’s 1.9 GHz sXGP band. In addition, vast swaths of globally and regionally harmonized license-exempt spectrum – most notably, the 600 MHz TVWS, 5 GHz, 6 GHz and 60 GHz bands – are also available worldwide, which can be used for the operation of unlicensed LTE and 5G NR-U (NR in Unlicensed Spectrum) equipment subject to domestic regulations.
– Collectively, ground-breaking spectrum liberalization initiatives are catalyzing the rollout of shared and unlicensed spectrum-enabled LTE and 5G NR networks for a diverse array of use cases – ranging from mobile network densification, FWA in rural communities and MVNO offload to neutral host infrastructure and private cellular networks for enterprises and vertical industries such as agriculture, education, healthcare, manufacturing, military, mining, oil and gas, public sector, retail and hospitality, sports, transportation and utilities.
– In particular, private LTE and 5G networks operating in shared spectrum are becoming an increasingly common theme. Hundreds of local and priority access licenses – predominantly in mid-band spectrum – have been issued in the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Finland, Sweden, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and other pioneering markets to facilitate the operation of purpose-built wireless networks based on 3GPP standards.
– Airbus, ArcelorMittal, Bayer, BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), BMW, Bosch, Dow, EDF, Ferrovial, Groupe ADP, Holmen Iggesund, Hoban Construction, Hsinchu City Fire Department, Inventec, John Deere, KEPCO (Korea Electric Power Corporation), Lufthansa, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, NAVER, NFL (National Football League), Osaka Gas, Ricoh, SDG&E (San Diego Gas & Electric), Siemens, SVT (Sveriges Television), Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, X Shore and the U.S. military are just a few of the many end user organizations investing in shared spectrum-enabled private cellular networks.
– In some national markets, neutral host solutions based on shared spectrum small cells are being employed as a cost-effective means of coverage enhancement inside office spaces, public venues and other indoor environments. One prominent example is social media and technology giant Meta’s in-building wireless network that uses small cells operating in the GAA tier of CBRS spectrum and MOCN (Multi-Operator Core Network) technology to provide multi-operator cellular coverage at its properties in the United States.
– Although the uptake of 5G NR equipment operating in high-band mmWave (Millimeter Wave) frequencies has been slower than initially anticipated, practical cases of 5G networks based on locally licensed 26/28 GHz spectrum are steadily piling up in multiple national markets – examples range from private 5G installations at HKIA (Hong Kong International Airport), SMC (Samsung Medical Center) and various manufacturing facilities to Japanese cable TV operator-led deployments of 28 GHz local 5G networks.
– The very first deployments of 5G NR-U technology are also beginning to emerge. For example, the SGCC (State Grid Corporation of China) has deployed a private NR-U network – operating in license-exempt Band n46 (5.8 GHz) spectrum – to support video surveillance, mobile inspection robots and other 5G-connected applications at its Lanzhou East and Mogao substations in China’s Gansu province. In the coming years, with the technology’s commercial maturity, we also anticipate seeing NR-U deployments in Band n96 (6 GHz) and Band n263 (60 GHz) for both licensed assisted and standalone modes of operation.

The post The Shared & Unlicensed Spectrum LTE/5G Network Ecosystem: 2023 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts first appeared on CRI Report.

In fact, many mobile operators are betting on 5G to diversify their revenue streams, as conventional voice and data service ARPUs decline globally. For example, South Korea’s KT has established a dedicated business unit for holograms, which it envisions to be a key source of revenue for its future 5G network.

At present, the 3GPP and other SDOs (Standards Development Organizations) are engaged in defining the first phase of 5G specifications. However, pre-standards 5G network rollouts are already underway, most notably in the United States and South Korea, as mobile operators rush to be the first to offer 5G services. SNS Research estimates that by the end of 2017, pre-standards 5G network investments are expected to account for over $250 Million.

Although 2020 has conventionally been regarded as the headline date for 5G commercialization, the very first standardized deployments of the technology are expected to be commercialized as early as 2019 with the 3GPP’s initial 5G specifications set to be implementation-ready by March 2018. Between 2019 and 2025, we expect the 5G network infrastructure market to aggressively grow at a CAGR of nearly 70%, eventually accounting for $28 Billion in annual spending by the end of 2025. These infrastructure investments will be complemented by annual shipments of up to 520 Million 5G-capable devices.

The “5G Wireless Ecosystem: 2017 – 2030 – Technologies, Applications, Verticals, Strategies & Forecasts” report presents an in-depth assessment of the emerging 5G ecosystem including key market drivers, challenges, enabling technologies, usage scenarios, vertical market applications, mobile operator deployment commitments, case studies, spectrum availability/allocation, standardization, research initiatives and vendor strategies. The report also presents forecasts for 5G investments and operator services.
The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report, as well as a 5G deployment tracking database covering over 60 global 5G trials, demos and commercial deployment commitments (as of Q1’2017).

Topics Covered
The report covers the following topics:
– 5G NR (New Radio) and NextGen (Next Generation) system architecture
– Market drivers and barriers to the adoption of 5G networks
– 5G requirements, usage scenarios, vertical markets and applications
– Key enabling technologies including air interface design, higher frequency radio access, advanced antenna systems, flexible duplex schemes, D2D (Device-to-Device) connectivity, dynamic spectrum access, self-backhauling and network slicing
– Complementary concepts including NFV, SDN, hyperscale data centers, Cloud RAN, satellite communications and aerial networking platforms
– Case studies and review of mobile operator 5G commitments
– 5G standardization, development and research initiatives
– Analysis of spectrum availability and allocation strategies for 5G networks
– Competitive assessment of vendor strategies
– Review of investments on R&D and pre-standards 5G networks
– Standardized 5G infrastructure, user equipment and operator service forecasts till 2030

Forecast Segmentation
Market forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:

5G R&D Investments
– New Air Interface & Millimeter Wave Radio Access
– MIMO, Beamforming & Advanced Antenna Technologies
– Spectrum Sharing, Aggregation & Interference Management
– Virtualization & Cloud RAN
– Network Slicing & Other Technologies

Pre-Standards 5G Network Investments
– Pre-Standards Base Stations
– Pre-Standards User Equipment
– Transport Networking & Other Investments

Standardized 5G Infrastructure Investments
– 5G NR (New Radio)
 Distributed Macrocell Base Stations
 Small Cells
 RRHs (Remote Radio Heads)
 C-RAN BBUs (Baseband Units)
– NextGen (Next Generation) Core Network
– Fronthaul & Backhaul Networking

Standardized 5G User Equipment Investments
– Handsets
– Tablets
– Embedded IoT Modules
– USB Dongles
– Routers

5G Operator Services
– Subscriptions
– Service Revenue

Regional Segmentation
– Asia Pacific
– Eastern Europe
– Latin & Central America
– Middle East & Africa
– North America
– Western Europe

Key Questions Answered
The report provides answers to the following key questions:
– How big is the opportunity for 5G network infrastructure, user equipment and operator services?
– What trends, challenges and barriers will influence the development and adoption of 5G?
– How will 5G drive the adoption of AR (Augmented Reality)/VR (Virtual Reality) applications such as 3D holographic telepresence and 360 degree streaming of live events?
– How have advanced antenna and chip technologies made it possible to utilize millimeter wave spectrum for mobile communications in 5G networks?
– How can non-orthogonal multiple access schemes such as RSMA (Resource Spread Multiple Access) enable 5G networks to support higher connection densities for Millions of IoT devices?
– What will be the number of 5G subscriptions in 2019 and at what rate will it grow?
– Which regions and countries will be the first to adopt 5G?
– Which frequency bands are most likely to be utilized by 5G networks?
– Who are the key 5G vendors and what are their strategies?
– Will 5G networks rely on a disaggregated RAN architecture?
– How will 5G impact the fiber industry?
– Will satellite communications and aerial networking platforms play a wider role in 5G networks?

Key Findings
The report has the following key findings:
– The Unites States and South Korea are spearheading early investments in pre-standards 5G trial networks, as mobile operators rush to be the first to offer 5G networks. SNS Research estimates that by the end of 2017, pre-standards 5G network investments are expected to account for over $250 Million.
– Following completion of the 3GPP’s first phase of 5G specifications in March 2018, SNS Research expects that early adopters across the globe will simultaneously begin commercializing 5G services in 2019.
– Between 2019 and 2025, we expect the 5G network infrastructure market to aggressively grow at a CAGR of nearly 70%, eventually accounting for $28 Billion in annual spending by the end of 2025.
– Although early 5G R&D investments have primarily targeted the radio access segment, network-slicing has recently emerged as necessary “end-to-end” capability to guarantee performance for different 5G applications which may have contrasting requirements.
– In order to support diverse usage scenarios, 5G networks are expected to utilize a variety of frequency bands ranging from established sub-6 GHz cellular bands to millimeter wave spectrum.

The post The 5G Wireless Ecosystem: 2017 – 2030 first appeared on CRI Report.

Commonly referred to as FWA, Fixed Wireless Access has emerged as one of the most predominant use cases for early 5G network rollouts. Multiple mobile operators and service providers are initially seeking to capitalize on 5G as a fixed wireless alternative to deliver last-mile connectivity – at multi-hundred Megabit and Gigabit speeds – in areas with insufficient fiber holdings.

The very first standardized deployments of 5G-based FWA are expected to be commercialized as early as 2019. Largely driven by early commercial rollouts by Verizon Communications and AT&T in the United States, 5G-based FWA subscriptions are expected to account for $1 Billion in service revenue by the end of 2019 alone. The market is further expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 84% between 2019 and 2025, eventually accounting for more than $40 Billion.

The “5G for FWA (Fixed Wireless Access): 2017 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts” report presents an in-depth assessment of the emerging 5G-based FWA ecosystem including key market drivers, challenges, enabling technologies, revenue potential, application scenarios, service provider deployment commitments, case studies, spectrum availability/allocation, vendor profiles and strategies. The report also presents forecasts for 5G-based FWA investments and operator services.

The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report.

Topics Covered
The report covers the following topics:
– 5G architecture, requirements and applications
– Market drivers and barriers to the adoption of 5G
– Key enabling technologies and complementary concepts
– Business case and application scenarios for 5G-based FWA
– Analysis of spectrum availability and allocation for 5G-based FWA
– Case studies of 13 FWA deployments based on 5G and other wireless technologies
– Company profiles and strategies of 80 FWA vendors
– Strategic recommendations for vendors and service providers
– Market analysis and forecasts till 2030

Forecast Segmentation
Market forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:

5G Infrastructure Investments
– 5G NR (New Radio) Infrastructure
– NextGen (Next Generation) Core Network
– Fronthaul & Backhaul Networking

5G-Based FWA User Equipment Investments
– Unit Shipments
– Unit Shipment Revenue

5G-Based FWA Operator Services
– Subscriptions
– Service Revenue

Application Scenario Segmentation
– Broadband Internet
– Pay TV
– IoT & Other Applications

User Base Segmentation
– Residential
– Business

Regional Segmentation
– Asia Pacific
– Eastern Europe
– Latin & Central America
– Middle East & Africa
– North America
– Western Europe

Key Questions Answered
The report provides answers to the following key questions:
– How big is the opportunity for 5G-based FWA?
– What trends, challenges and barriers will influence the development and adoption of 5G-based FWA?
– How have advanced antenna and chip technologies made it possible to utilize millimeter wave spectrum for 5G-based FWA?
– What are the key application scenarios for 5G-based FWA?
– Can 5G-based FWA enable mobile operators to tap into the pay TV market?
– How can mobile operators leverage early deployments of 5G-based FWA to better prepare their networks for planned 5G mobile service rollouts?
– What will be the number of 5G-based FWA subscriptions in 2019 and at what rate will it grow?
– Which regions and countries will be the first to adopt 5G-based FWA?
– Which frequency bands are most likely to be utilized by 5G-based FWA deployments?
– What is the cost saving potential of 5G-based FWA for last-mile connectivity?
– Who are the key market players and what are their strategies?
– What strategies should 5G-based FWA vendors and service providers adopt to remain competitive?

Key Findings
The report has the following key findings:
– 5G-based FWA subscriptions are expected to account for $1 Billion in service revenue by the end of 2019 alone. The market is further expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 84% between 2019 and 2025, eventually accounting for more than $40 Billion.
– SNS Research estimates that 5G-based FWA can reduce the initial cost of establishing last-mile connectivity by as much as 40% – in comparison to FTTP (Fiber-to-the-Premises). In addition, 5G can significantly accelerate rollout times by eliminating the need to lay cables as required for FTTP rollouts.
– The 28 GHz frequency band is widely preferred for early 5G-based FWA deployments, as many vendors have already developed 28 GHz-capable equipment – driven by demands for early field trials in multiple markets including the United States and South Korea.
– Millimeter wave wireless connectivity specialists are well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for 5G-based FWA. However, in order to compete effectively against existing mobile infrastructure giants, they will need to closely align their multi-gigabit capacity FWA solutions with 3GPP specifications.
– While many industry analysts believe that 5G-based FWA is only suitable for densely populated urban areas, a number of rural carriers – including C Spire and U.S. Cellular – are beginning to view 5G as a means to deliver last-mile broadband connectivity to underserved rural communities.

The post 5G for FWA (Fixed Wireless Access): 2017 – 2030 first appeared on CRI Report.