Private 4G and 5G infrastructure market set to soar

Factory
(Image credit: Pixabay)

Global spending on private 4G and 5G infrastructure will surge from $1.7 billion in 2021 to $8.3 billion by 2026 – an annual growth rate of 35.7%.

A study by IDC says that growing awareness and emerging use cases for private cellular networks is driving the uptake, with 5G starting to become a factor in a market that is still driven by the LTE standard.

A private 4G or 5G network provides dedicated access to a specific customer, using either licensed, unlicensed or shared spectrum, with no resources shared by any third party.

Private 4G and 5G

By pursuing this route, customers can define the scale, pace of rollout, and technology used, while guaranteeing a certain level of performance for their applications.

Private networks can be built with or without the assistance of a traditional mobile operator, with many IT firms and telecoms equipment manufacturers now selling products and services directly to end users.

While many deployments are still in a trial of proof-of-concept phase, certain industries, such as manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics are already reaping the benefits. Private 5G will be an essential component of Industry 4.0 deployments, delivering ultrafast speeds, high capacity, and ultra-low latency.

Analysts say LTE will remain the dominant technology for the short-term, this early demand for private 5G demonstrates the potential of the market.

"Heightened demand for dedicated or private wireless solutions that can offer enhanced security, performance, and reliability continue to come to the fore as both current and future applications, particularly those in the industrial sector, require more from their network and edge infrastructure," said Patrick Filkins, research manager, IoT and Telecom Network Infrastructure.

"While private LTE/5G infrastructure continues to see more interest, the reality is 5G itself continues to evolve, and will evolve for the next several years. As such, many organizations are expected to invest in private 5G over the coming years as advances are made in 5G standards, general spectrum availability, and device readiness."

Steve McCaskill is TechRadar Pro's resident mobile industry expert, covering all aspects of the UK and global news, from operators to service providers and everything in between. He is a former editor of Silicon UK and journalist with over a decade's experience in the technology industry, writing about technology, in particular, telecoms, mobile and sports tech, sports, video games and media. 

Read more
A graphic showing fleet tracking locations over a city.
From smart cities to streaming: 2025 wireless tech predictions
5G
Securing 5G edge network – what companies should know before stepping on the edge of tech
Global network connection 6G on hand business man.Global network connection 6G with icon concept, technology network wireless systems and internet of things, new technologies coming up in the future.
What is 6G and what does it mean for businesses?
Digital clouds against a blue background.
GenAI development is pushing along cloud adoption at a record pace
Digital clouds against a blue background.
Cloud spending to reach a staggering $723bn in 2025, thanks partly to the explosive demand for AI resources
A stylized depiction of a padlocked WiFi symbol sitting in the centre of an interlocking vault.
Industrial sustainability with private wireless networks and the industrial edge
Latest in Phone & Communications
GlocalMe KeyTracker
When I tested this global tracker, it trounced the Apple AirTag in so many ways
Privacy Hero II
Privacy Hero II VPN Router
ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola
I reviewed the ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola and while it's not as fast as its predecessor, it's the superior phone in so many ways
FRITZ!Box 7690 WiFi 7 Router
FRITZ!Box 7690 router review
Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal
Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal rugged tablet review
Unihertz Tank Pad 8849
Unihertz Tank Pad 8849 rugged tablet review
Latest in News
cheap Nintendo Switch game deals sales
Nintendo didn't anticipate that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was 'going to be the juggernaut' for the Nintendo Switch when it was ported to the console, according to former employees
Three angles of the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M4 laptop above a desk
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) review roundup – should you buy Apple's new lightweight laptop?
Witchbrook
Witchbrook, the life-sim I've been waiting years for, finally has a release window and it's sooner than you think
Amazon Echo Smart Speaker
Amazon is experimenting with renaming Echo speakers to Alexa speakers, and it's about time
Shigeru Miyamoto presents Nintendo Today app
Nintendo Today smartphone app is out now on iOS and Android devices – and here's what it does
iPhone 13 mini
The iPhone mini won't be returning, according to rumors – and you think that's a mistake