LTE & 5G NR-Based CBRS Networks: 2024 - 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts

After many years of regulatory, standardization and technical implementation activities, the United States' dynamic, three-tiered, hierarchical framework for coordinated shared use of 150 MHz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) band is experiencing a renewed wave of enthusiasm. This reinvigoration of interest follows a recent relaxation of rules and guidelines - collectively referred to as CBRS 2.0 - which extends uninterrupted commercial operations in the CBRS band from 78% to 97% of the country's total landmass, among other refinements.

Complementing these initiatives are new FCC (Federal Communications Commission) proposals aimed at fostering innovation and continued growth of CBRS networks through additional changes to the spectrum sharing framework, ranging from higher transmit power levels to interference protection for critical private network users in indoor facilities.

Although the shared spectrum arrangement is access technology neutral, the 3GPP cellular wireless ecosystem is at the forefront of CBRS adoption, with close to half of the more than 400,000 active CBSDs (Citizens Broadband Radio Service Devices) based on LTE and 5G NR air interface technologies. The rest of the market comprises fixed wireless broadband networks built using non-3GPP equipment supplied by the likes of Cambium Networks and Tarana Wireless.

LTE-based CBRS deployments encompass hundreds of networks - operating in both GAA (General Authorized Access) and PAL (Priority Access License) spectrum tiers - to support use cases as diverse as mobile network densification, FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) in rural communities, MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) offload and private cellular networks in support of IIoT (Industrial IoT), distance learning and smart city initiatives.

Additionally, there has been a surge in the adoption of CBRS small cells as a cost-effective alternative to DAS (Distributed Antenna Systems) for delivering neutral host public cellular coverage in carpeted enterprise spaces, public venues, hospitals, hotels, higher education campuses and schools. Some examples of LTE-based CBRS networks supporting neutral host connectivity to one or more national mobile operators include Meta's corporate offices, City of Hope Hospital, Stanford Health Care, Sound Hotel, Gale South Beach Hotel, Nobu Hotel, Arizona State University, Cal Poly, University of Virginia, Duke University and Parkside Elementary School.

Also well underway are commercial rollouts of 5G NR network equipment operating in the CBRS band, which are laying the foundation for advanced application scenarios with more demanding performance requirements in terms of throughput, latency, reliability, availability and connection density - for example, Industry 4.0 applications such as connected production machinery, mobile robotics, AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and AR (Augmented Reality)-assisted troubleshooting. 5G NR-based CBRS network installations range from private 5G projects at the manufacturing and logistics facilities of Tesla, Toyota Material Handling, BMW Group, John Deere, LG Electronics and Walmart to Comcast's and Charter's ongoing 5G RAN (Radio Access Network) buildouts based on strand-mounted CBRS radios.

The analyst estimates that annual investments in LTE and 5G NR-based CBRS RAN, mobile core and transport network infrastructure will grow at a CAGR of approximately 15% between 2024 and 2027 to surpass $1.3 Billion by the end of 2027. Much of this growth will be driven by private cellular, neutral host and fixed wireless broadband network deployments, followed by a slow but steady expansion of investments in 5G buildouts aimed at improving the economics of cable operators' MVNO services. Complemented by an ever expanding selection of 3GPP Band 48/n48-compatible terminal equipment, the market size for end user devices is even bigger, with unit shipments of IIoT and FWA devices projected to account for $2.4 Billion in annual sales by 2027.

The “LTE & 5G NR-Based CBRS Networks: 2024 - 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 network infrastructure and terminal equipment from 2024 to 2030. The forecasts cover three infrastructure submarkets, two air interface technologies, two cell type categories, five device form factors, seven use cases and 11 vertical industries.

The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report, as well as a database of over 1,000 LTE/5G NR-based CBRS network engagements - as of Q4’2024.

Key Findings:

• The analyst estimates that annual investments in LTE and 5G NR-based CBRS RAN, mobile core and transport network infrastructure will grow at a CAGR of approximately 15% between 2024 and 2027 to surpass $1.3 Billion by the end of 2027.
• Complemented by an ever expanding selection of 3GPP Band 48/n48-compatible terminal equipment, the market size for end user devices is even bigger, with unit shipments of IIoT and FWA devices projected to account for $2.4 Billion in annual sales by 2027.
• LTE-based CBRS deployments encompass hundreds of networks supporting use cases as diverse as mobile network densification, fixed wireless broadband in rural communities, MVNO offload and private cellular networks for vertical industries and enterprises.
• Additionally, there has been a surge in the adoption of CBRS small cells as a cost-effective alternative to DAS for delivering neutral host public cellular coverage in carpeted enterprise spaces, public venues, hospitals, hotels, higher education campuses and schools.
• Some examples of LTE-based CBRS networks supporting neutral host connectivity include Meta's corporate offices, City of Hope Hospital, Stanford Health Care, Sound Hotel, Gale South Beach Hotel, Nobu Hotel, Arizona State University, Cal Poly, University of Virginia, Duke University and Parkside Elementary School.
• Also well underway are commercial rollouts of 5G NR network equipment operating in the CBRS band, which are laying the foundation for advanced application scenarios with more demanding performance requirements in terms of throughput, latency, reliability, availability and connection density.
• 5G NR-based CBRS network installations range from private 5G projects at the manufacturing and logistics facilities of Tesla, Toyota Material Handling, BMW Group, John Deere, LG Electronics and Walmart to Comcast's and Charter's ongoing 5G RAN buildouts based on strand-mounted CBRS radios.
• By eliminating the entry barriers associated with exclusive-use licensed spectrum, CBRS has spurred the entry of many new players in the cellular industry - particularly neutral host and private 4G/5G solution specialists such as Ataya, Ballast Networks, Bloxtel, Celona, GXC, Highway9 Networks, InfiniG, Kajeet, MosoLabs and Pente Networks.

Summary of CBRS Network Deployments

Summarized below is a review of LTE and 5G NR-based CBRS network across the United States and its territories:

• Mobile Network Densification: Verizon has rolled out CBRS spectrum across thousands of cell sites in select markets, although these investments have been dwarfed by its more extensive C-band 5G buildout. Claro Puerto Rico and several other mobile operators are also using CBRS to expand the capacity of their networks in high-traffic density environments.
• Fixed Wireless Broadband Services: Frontier Communications, local2u, Mediacom, Midco, Nextlink Internet, Mercury Broadband, Surf Internet, Cal.net, IGL TeleConnect, OhioTT and MetaLINK are some of the many WISPs that have deployed 3GPP-based CBRS networks for fixed wireless broadband services in rural and underserved markets with limited high-speed internet options.
• Mobile Networks for New Entrants: Comcast and Charter Communications are leveraging their licensed CBRS spectrum holdings to install 5G RAN infrastructure for targeted wireless coverage in strategic locations where subscriber density and data consumption is highest. The slow but steady CBRS network buildouts are aimed at improving the economics of the cable operators' MVNO services by offloading a larger proportion of mobile data traffic from host networks.
• Neutral Host Networks: Among other examples, Meta's corporate offices, City of Hope Hospital, Stanford Health Care, Sound Hotel, Gale South Beach Hotel, Nobu Hotel, Arizona State University, Cal Poly, University of Virginia, Duke University and Parkside Elementary School are using CBRS small cells and MOCN (Multi-Operator Core Network) technology for neutral host connectivity to one or more national mobile operators.
• Private Cellular Networks: The availability of CBRS spectrum is accelerating private LTE and 5G network deployments across a multitude of vertical industries and application scenarios, extending from localized wireless systems for geographically limited coverage in factories, warehouses, airports, rail yards, maritime terminals, medical facilities, office buildings, sports venues, military bases and university campuses to municipal networks for community broadband, distance learning and smart city initiatives. Some notable examples of recent and ongoing deployments are listed below:
  • Education: Higher education institutes are at the forefront of hosting on-premise LTE and 5G networks in campus environments. Texas A&M University, Johns Hopkins University, Ohio State University, Duke University, Purdue University, Virginia Tech, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of New Mexico, Howard University, West Chester University and Stanislaus State are among the many universities that have deployed cellular networks for experimental research or smart campus-related applications. Another prevalent theme in the education sector is the growing number of private LTE networks aimed at eliminating the digital divide for remote learning in school districts throughout the United States.
  • Governments & Municipalities: The City of Brownsville, Texas, has recently awarded a multi-year, $4 Million contract to NTT DATA to install, manage and operate a private 5G network for smart city applications, such as public safety monitoring in city parks. Local authorities in Las Vegas, Nevada; Tucson and Glendale, Arizona; Santa Maria, California; Longmont, Colorado; Shreveport, Louisiana; Montgomery, Alabama; Dublin, Ohio; and several other municipalities have also deployed their own private wireless networks using CBRS spectrum.
  • Healthcare: During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, regional healthcare provider Geisinger took advantage of CBRS spectrum to deploy a private LTE network for telemedicine services in rural Pennsylvania, while Memorial Health System utilized a temporary CBRS network to provide wireless connectivity for frontline staff and medical equipment in COVID-19 triage tents and testing facilities at its Springfield, Illinois, hospital. Since then, Stanford Health Care, VA Puget Sound Health Care System and other healthcare providers have begun investing in CBRS-enabled private wireless networks on a more permanent basis to facilitate secure and reliable communications for critical care, patient monitoring and back office systems in hospital campuses and other medical settings.
  • Manufacturing: Toyota Material Handling has implemented a private 5G network for Industry 4.0 applications at its Columbus production complex in Indiana. Similarly, German automotive giant BMW has deployed an industrial-grade 5G network to support autonomous logistics at its Spartanburg plant in South Carolina. Rival automaker Tesla is also migrating PROFINET/PROFIsafe-based AGV communications from Wi-Fi to private 5G networks at its factories. Agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere has installed private cellular infrastructure at 12 of its production facilities, while CPChem (Chevron Phillips Chemical) has implemented LTE and 5G-ready private networks for eight Texas sites. Dow, another prominent name in the U.S. manufacturing sector, has adopted a private LTE network to modernize plant maintenance at its Freeport chemical complex in Texas. LyondellBasell, Hyster-Yale, LG Electronics, FII (Foxconn Industrial Internet), Del Conca USA, Standard Steel, Logan Aluminum, OCI Global, Schneider Electric, Bosch Rexroth, CommScope, Ericsson, Hitachi and many other manufacturers are also integrating private 4G/5G connectivity into their production operations.
  • Military: All branches of the U.S. military are actively investing in private cellular networks. Examples extend from JMA Wireless' Open RAN-compliant nomadic 5G network solution for deployable frontline operations to the U.S. Navy's standalone private 5G networks at NAS (Naval Air Station) Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, and JBPHH (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam), Hawaii. Operating in DISH Network's licensed 600 MHz and CBRS spectrum, the Whidbey Island network delivers wireless coverage across a geographic footprint of several acres to support a wide array of applications for advanced base operations, equipment maintenance and flight line management. The smaller network in Hawaii is a self-contained and transportable 5G system for tactical communications.
  • Mining: Compass Minerals, Albemarle, Newmont and a number of other companies have deployed 3GPP-based private wireless networks for the digitization and automation of their mining operations. Pronto's off-road AHS (Autonomous Haulage System) integrates private cellular technology to support the operation of driverless trucks in remote mining environments that lack coverage from traditional mobile operators.
  • Oil & Gas: Having acquired 26 licenses in 21 counties in the CBRS PAL auction, Chevron is deploying private cellular infrastructure to enhance connectivity at its remote exploration and production operations, in addition to the implementation of private LTE/5G-ready networks at its affiliate CPChem's plants, as noted earlier. Up to 60% of the oil's giant's operational areas have no coverage from public mobile operators. Cameron LNG, EOG Resources, Pioneer Natural Resources and Oxy (Occidental Petroleum Corporation) are also engaged in efforts to integrate LTE and 5G NR-based CBRS network equipment into their private communications systems.
  • Retail & Hospitality: Private cellular networks have been installed to enhance guest connectivity and internal operations in a host of hotels and resorts, including the Sound Hotel in Seattle, Washington; Nobu Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada; and Gale South Beach Hotel, Gale Hotel & Residences, Faena Hotel and Caribe Royale Resort in Florida. The American Dream retail and entertainment complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey; regional shopping mall Southlands in Aurora, Colorado; and Miracle Mile Shops in Las Vegas, Nevada, are notable examples of early adopters in the retail segment.
  • Sports: Sports leagues such as the NFL (National Football League), PGA Tour, Disc Golf Pro Tour, ARA (American Rally Association) and Formula DRIFT are utilizing CBRS spectrum and private wireless technology for live broadcasting, enhanced fan engagement and gameplay operations. ASM Global, HSG (Haslam Sports Group), SS&E (Spurs Sports & Entertainment) and other venue owners have also installed 3GPP-based private wireless infrastructure at stadiums, arenas and other sports facilities for applications such as mobile ticket scanning, automated turnstiles, POS (Point-of-Sale) systems, digital signage, immersive experiences, video surveillance, crowd management and smart parking.
  • Transportation: Private cellular networks have been deployed or are being trialed at some of the busiest international and domestic airports, including Chicago O'Hare, Newark Liberty, DFW (Dallas Fort Worth), Dallas Love Field, MIA (Miami International Airport) and MSP (Minneapolis-St. Paul), as well as inland and maritime ports. Other examples in the transportation segment range from on-premise 4G/5G networks at Walmart’s and Amazon's distribution and fulfilment centers to freight railroad operator Norfolk Southern’s private LTE network for rail yard workers at its outdoor rail switching facilities.
  • Utilities: Major utility companies spent nearly $200 Million in the CBRS PAL auction to acquire licenses within their service territories. Southern Linc, SDG&E (San Diego Gas & Electric), SCE (Southern California Edison) and Hawaiian Electric are using their licensed spectrum holdings to deploy 3GPP-based FANs (Field Area Networks) in support of grid modernization programs while Duke Energy has installed a private LTE network operating in the unlicensed GAA tier of CBRS spectrum. Among other examples, Enel has deployed a CBRS network for business-critical applications at a remote solar power plant.
  • Other Verticals: LTE and 5G NR-ready CBRS networks have also been deployed in other vertical sectors, including agriculture, arts and culture, construction and forestry. In addition, CBRS networks for indoor wireless coverage enhancement and smart building applications are also starting to be implemented in office environments, corporate campuses and residential buildings. Prominent examples include the Cabana Happy Valley residential complex in Phoenix (Arizona) and Rudin Management Company's 345 Park Avenue multi-tenant commercial office building in New York City.

Topics Covered:

• 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 the growing prevalence of private cellular networks in industrial and enterprise settings, neutral host small cells, 3GPP-based fixed wireless broadband rollouts, MVNO offload and mobile network densification
• Business models, use cases and application scenarios
• Future roadmap of LTE and 5G NR in CBRS spectrum
• Standardization, regulatory and collaborative initiatives
• 50 case studies of LTE and 5G NR-based CBRS network deployments
• Database tracking more than 1,000 CBRS network engagements
• Profiles and strategies of over 300 ecosystem players
• Strategic recommendations for LTE and 5G NR equipment suppliers, system integrators, service providers, enterprises and vertical industries
• Market analysis and forecasts from 2024 to 2030

Forecast Segmentation

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

• CBRS Network Infrastructure
  • Infrastructure Submarkets
    • RAN (Radio Access Network)
    • Mobile Core
    • Transport Network
• 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
  • Education
  • Governments & Municipalities
  • Healthcare
  • Manufacturing
  • Military
  • Mining
  • Oil & Gas
  • Retail & Hospitality
  • Sports
  • Transportation
  • Utilities
  • 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 2027, and at what rate will it grow?
• Which submarkets and verticals will see the highest percentage of growth?
• What are the business models, use cases and application scenarios for CBRS networks?
• How does CBRS spectrum improve the economics of cable operators' MVNO services?
• How are WISPs (Wireless Internet Service Providers) leveraging CBRS for fixed wireless broadband rollouts in rural and underserved communities?
• What opportunities exist for cable operators, neutral hosts, niche service providers and other new entrants?
• How is CBRS accelerating the uptake of private cellular networks for vertical industries and enterprises?
• How is the commercial availability of 5G NR-based CBRS network equipment setting the stage for Industry 4.0 and advanced applications?
• 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?