However, the practical applicability of unlicensed spectrum is not limited to the capacity enhancement of traditional mobile operator networks. Technical and regulatory initiatives such as MulteFire, CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) and sXGP (Shared Extended Global Platform) make it possible for enterprises, vertical industries, third-party neutral hosts and other new entrants to build and operate their own independent cellular networks solely in unlicensed spectrum without requiring an anchor carrier in licensed spectrum. Furthermore, in conjunction with the availability of new license-exempt frequencies such as the recently opened 6 GHz band from 5925 MHz to 7125 MHz, the introduction of 5G NR-U in 3GPP’s Release 16 specifications paves the way for 5G NR deployments in unlicensed spectrum for both licensed assisted and standalone modes of operation. Given 5G’s inherent support for reliability and time-sensitive networking, NR-U is particularly well suited to meet industrial IoT requirements for the automation and digitization of environments such as factories, warehouses, ports and mining sites.

Despite the economic slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, competition from non-3GPP wireless technologies and other challenges, SNS Telecom & IT estimates that global investments in LTE and 5G NR-ready RAN infrastructure operating in unlicensed spectrum will reach nearly $500 Million by the end of 2020. The market is further expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 40% between 2020 and 2023, eventually accounting for $1.3 Billion by 2023.

The “LTE & 5G NR in Unlicensed Spectrum: 2020 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts” report presents a detailed assessment of the market for LTE and 5G NR in unlicensed spectrum including the value chain, market drivers, barriers to uptake, enabling technologies, key trends, future roadmap, business models, use cases, application scenarios, standardization, spectrum availability/allocation, regulatory landscape, case studies, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. The report also provides global and regional forecasts for unlicensed LTE and 5G NR RAN infrastructure from 2020 till 2030. The forecasts cover two air interface technologies, two modes of operation, two cell type categories, seven frequency band ranges, 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 LTE and 5G NR in unlicensed spectrum
– Value chain and ecosystem structure
– Market drivers and challenges
– Enabling technologies and concepts including LTE-U, LAA/eLAA/FeLAA, 5G NR-U, MulteFire, CBRS and sXGP
– Key trends such as mobile network densification, neutral host small cells, private cellular networks for enterprises and vertical industries, and the availability of new unlicensed bands
– Future roadmap of LTE and 5G NR in unlicensed spectrum
– Business models, use cases and application scenarios
– Spectrum availability, allocation and usage across the global, regional and national domains
– Standardization, regulatory and collaborative initiatives
– Case studies of LTE and 5G NR-ready deployments in unlicensed spectrum
– Profiles and strategies of more than 280 ecosystem players
– Strategic recommendations for LTE and 5G NR equipment suppliers, system integrators, service providers, enterprises and vertical industries
– Market analysis and forecasts from 2020 till 2030

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

Air Interface Technologies
– Unlicensed LTE
– 5G NR-U

Modes of Operation
– Standalone Operation
– LAA (Licensed Assisted Access)

Cell Types
– Indoor Small Cells
– Outdoor Small Cells

Frequency Bands
– Sub-1 GHz
– 1.9 GHz sXGP
– 2.4 GHz
– 3.5 GHz CBRS GAA
– 5 GHz
– 6 GHz
– Higher 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 LTE and 5G NR in unlicensed spectrum?
– What trends, drivers and challenges are influencing its growth?
– What will the market size be in 2023, and at what rate will it grow?
– Which submarkets and regions will see the highest percentage of growth?
– What are the existing and candidate unlicensed spectrum bands for the operation of LTE and 5G NR, and what is the status of their adoption worldwide?
– What is the outlook for the recently opened 6 GHz greenfield spectrum and license-exempt bands in higher frequencies?
– What are the business models, use cases and application scenarios for LTE and 5G NR networks operating in unlicensed spectrum?
– How does the integration of 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 will unlicensed spectrum accelerate the uptake of private cellular networks for enterprises and vertical industries?
– How does standardization impact the deployment of LTE and 5G NR in unlicensed spectrum?
– What are the functional capabilities of 5G NR-U based on the 3GPP’s Release 16 specifications, and which NR-U feature enhancements are likely to be supported in Release 17?
– Do Wi-Fi and other non-3GPP technologies operating in unlicensed spectrum pose a threat to LTE and 5G NR?
– Who are the key ecosystem players, and what are their strategies?
– What strategies should LTE and 5G NR equipment suppliers, system integrators, service providers and other stakeholders adopt to remain competitive?

Key Findings
The report has the following key findings:
– Despite the economic slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, competition from non-3GPP wireless technologies and other challenges, SNS Telecom & IT estimates that global investments in LTE and 5G NR-ready RAN infrastructure operating in unlicensed spectrum will reach nearly $500 Million by the end of 2020. The market is further expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 40% between 2020 and 2023, eventually accounting for $1.3 Billion by 2023.
– As part of their network densification efforts, mobile operators across the globe are increasingly employing the use of LAA technology to aggregate licensed spectrum assets with unlicensed frequencies – primarily the globally harmonized 5 GHz band – in order to deliver higher data rates and alleviate capacity constraints across the most congested parts of their networks.
– With the possibility to leverage the 3.5 GHz CBRS band on a GAA (General Authorized Access) basis in the United States and the availability of Japan’s license-exempt 1.9 GHz sXGP band, independent cellular networks that can operate solely in unlicensed spectrum – without requiring an anchor carrier in licensed spectrum – are beginning to emerge as well. In addition, it is worth noting that a limited number of custom-built, standalone LTE networks operating in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands are operational in certain national markets, predominantly for industrial IoT applications.
– In the coming years, with the commercial maturity of 5G NR-U technology, we also anticipate to see 5G NR deployments in unlicensed spectrum for both licensed assisted and standalone modes of operation – using the 3.5 GHz CBRS, 5 GHz, 6 GHz and higher frequency bands up to 71 GHz.

The post LTE & 5G NR in Unlicensed Spectrum: 2020 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts first appeared on CRI Report.

Following authorization of FCD (Full Commercial Deployment) by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and completion of the recent PAL (Priority Access License) auction, LTE-based CBRS network deployments are beginning to gain considerable momentum, with thousands of operational cell sites throughout the United States to support use cases as diverse as mobile network densification, FWA (Fixed Wireless Access), neutral host infrastructure, and private cellular networks for enterprises and vertical industries. In the coming years, we also anticipate the rollout of 5G NR network equipment operating in the CBRS band, which will lay the foundations for advanced application scenarios with more demanding performance requirements in terms of throughput, latency, reliability, availability and connection density – for example, industrial IoT applications such as connected production machinery, mobile robotics, AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and AR (Augmented Reality)-assisted troubleshooting.

The CBRS market remains largely unfazed by the economic disruption associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, with the exception of certain enterprise and vertical submarkets. SNS Telecom & IT estimates that annual investments in LTE and 5G NR-based CBRS RAN (Radio Access Network) infrastructure will account for more than $300 Million by the end of 2020. Complemented by an expanding selection of CBRS-equipped end user devices, the market is further expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 52% between 2020 and 2023 to surpass $1 Billion in annual spending by 2023.

The “LTE & 5G NR-Based CBRS Networks: 2020 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts” report presents a detailed assessment of the market for LTE and 5G NR in CBRS spectrum including the value chain, market drivers, barriers to uptake, enabling technologies, key trends, future roadmap, business models, use cases, application scenarios, standardization, regulatory landscape, case studies, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. The report also provides forecasts for LTE and 5G NR-based CBRS RAN infrastructure and terminal equipment from 2020 till 2030. The forecasts cover two air interface technologies, two cell type categories, five device form factors, seven use cases and ten vertical industries.

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 LTE and 5G NR-based CBRS networks
– Value chain and ecosystem structure
– Market drivers and challenges
– Technical aspects including CBRS spectrum sharing rules, system architecture, functional elements, core network integration and security
– Key trends such as mobile network densification, LTE and 5G NR-based fixed wireless broadband rollouts, neutral host small cell infrastructure for a variety of venues, and the growing prevalence of private cellular networks to support enterprise and industrial IoT applications
– Future roadmap of LTE and 5G NR in CBRS spectrum
– Business models, use cases and application scenarios
– Standardization, regulatory and collaborative initiatives
– Case studies of LTE and 5G NR-based CBRS network deployments
– Profiles and strategies of more than 270 ecosystem players
– Strategic recommendations for LTE and 5G NR equipment suppliers, system integrators, service providers, enterprises and vertical industries
– Market analysis and forecasts from 2020 till 2030

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

CBRS RAN Infrastructure
Air Interface Technologies
– LTE
– 5G NR

Cell Types
– Indoor Small Cells
– Outdoor Small Cells

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

Vertical Industries for Private Cellular Networks
– Manufacturing
– Transportation
– Utilities
– Mining
– Oil & Gas
– Healthcare
– Education
– Retail & Hospitality
– Government & Municipalities
– Other Verticals

CBRS Terminal Equipment
Air Interface Technologies
– LTE
– 5G NR

Form Factors
– Smartphones & Handheld Terminals
– Mobile & Vehicular Routers
– Fixed CPEs (Customer Premises Equipment)
– Tablets & Notebook PCs
– IoT Modules, Dongles & Others

Key Questions Answered
The report provides answers to the following key questions:
– How big is the opportunity for LTE and 5G NR-based CBRS networks?
– What trends, drivers and challenges are influencing its growth?
– What will the market size be in 2023, and at what rate will it grow?
– Which submarkets will see the highest percentage of growth?
– What are the business models, use cases and application scenarios for CBRS networks?
– How does the integration of CBRS 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 will CBRS accelerate the uptake of private cellular networks for enterprises and vertical industries?
– What is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CBRS network buildouts?
– When will 5G NR-based CBRS network equipment begin to be deployed in large volumes?
– What are the prospects of non-3GPP technologies in CBRS spectrum?
– Who are the key ecosystem players, and what are their strategies?
– What strategies should CBRS equipment suppliers, system integrators, service providers and other stakeholders adopt to remain competitive?

Key Findings
The report has the following key findings:
– The CBRS market remains largely unfazed by the economic disruption associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, with the exception of certain enterprise and vertical submarkets. SNS Telecom & IT estimates that annual investments in LTE and 5G NR-based CBRS RAN infrastructure will account for more than $300 Million by the end of 2020.
– Complemented by an expanding selection of CBRS-equipped end user devices, the market is further expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 52% between 2020 and 2023 to surpass $1 Billion in annual spending by 2023.
– LTE-based CBRS network deployments are beginning to gain considerable momentum, with thousands of operational cell sites throughout the United States to support use cases as diverse as mobile network densification, FWA, neutral host infrastructure, and private cellular networks for enterprises and vertical industries.
– We expect initial rollouts of 5G NR network equipment in the CBRS band to commence in 2021, paving the way for industrial IoT and other advanced application scenarios with demanding performance requirements in terms of throughput, latency, reliability, availability and connection density.

The post LTE & 5G NR-Based CBRS Networks: 2020 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts first appeared on CRI Report.