Different private network spectrum suits different use cases, but is a challenge for cost-efficiency and ecosystem growth
A variety of airwaves are being used or proposed for private network spectrum, from low-band spectrum in the 400 GHz range to millimeter-wave spectrum allocations. That wide range of spectrum presents both opportunities for private networks to suit many types of use cases, but also presents challenges for global harmonization and scale of private networks, as discussed by representatives of the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) during a session at Industrial 5G Forum.
While comprehensive numbers on private networks are difficult to come by, GSA tracked 303 private mobile network customer announcements in fiscal year 2023 and saw evidence of “consistent growth”. Announcements of private networks saw a compound annual growth rate of 66% between 2018 to 2023. There was a jump in public announcements between 2022-2023 of 28% growth to 1,384, a record number. And the actual numbers of networks could be higher, because announcements don’t necessarily detail the actual number of deployments across an enterprise’s locations, noted Luke Pearce, senior analyst and research manager at the GSA.
“The growth has been pretty consistent for the last three or four years now,” said Pearce, “2024 has continued on that same trajectory.”
While there are multiple reasons for the growth of private networks, Pearce said that one of those reasons is ease of access to private network spectrum. Countries where spectrum regulators are providing enterprises with the ability to access spectrum directly, rather than solely through leasing arrangements, are seeing higher numbers of public announcements of private networks.
The United States is a leader in the availability of private network spectrum and deployments, with more than 200 known private cellular networks that make use of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum. CBRS’ spectrum-sharing regime was developed with support for small enterprise users in mind, and recent analysis of CBRS growth has showed that CBRS site deployments from April 2021 to July 2024 grew “significantly” during those three years, up by more than 270,600 active transmitters, to a total of 400,403 CBRS Devices (CBSDs), or CBRS sites. The annual increase in 2022 was nearly 96,000, followed by growth of around 78,000 in 2023, according to a report from NTIA.
Meanwhile, Germany, which also has dedicated midband spectrum for enterprise networks, was second in the GSA’s count of private network announcements.
Overall, of the top 25 countries with known private mobile network deployments, the top 15 with the highest number of announcements were by and large, countries where enterprises could access private network spectrum. Regulators around the world, Pearce said, are showing signs of being inclined to allocate additional spectrum for spectrum.
High, low and mid-band are all in play as private network spectrum
A majority of the existing private network announcements involve deployment of LTE rather than 5G, and they are being used across a wide range of frequencies. In the Middle East and Europe, private network spectrum allocations in the 400 GHz range are being used for utilities and public safety, Pearce said—use cases where the spectrum’s excellent propagation capability is well-suited to provide coverage with fewer sites. Of particular note is the fact that Aramco Digital, the digital technology services subsidiary of state-owned Saudi oil and gas company Saudi Aramco, obtained a license for 450 MHz spectrum earlier this year to provide private wireless capabilities.
Midband spectrum in the 2-5 GHz range is the most common range globally that has been made available as private network spectrum, with the C-Band range at 3.5-3.7 GHz being most popular for, Pearce. This is being used to serve a range of use cases but is particularly relevant for manufacturing, Pearce said. The C-Band spectrum in the 3.5-3.7 GHz is the most popular for private network deplowith the CBRS range at
Millimeter-wave spectrum in the 24-29 GHz range, meanwhile, has seen allocation as private network spectrum in a number of places, from Europe to Australia and Asia-Pacific, but it is in early stages of development relative to low- and mid-band. Only eight of the known private network announcements have mentioned that they will be utilizing mmWave, Pearce said—it is “still very much in the trial and test phase,” he added.
While the large span of spectrum being made available for private networks around the world has advantages, it also complicates the development of a broad private 5G ecosystem of devices and equipment. Harmonization is important in general for connectivity, said Nokia’s Eiman Mohyeldin, who is head of spectrum standardization at GSA, and in the context of private networks, it is also advantageous for the ecosystem and for multi-national companies who may be seeking to operate private networks across multiple countries. But the lack of alignment on a global scale for private network spectrum poses a challenge.
“If you have harmonization, you will have uniform architecture, you will have compatible devices, you will have cost reduction, cost savings as well,” she said. “But true harmonization is going to take some years.”
If global harmonization isn’t possible, Mohyeldin said that regional harmonization—such as across Europe—can also help to accelerate the adoption of industrial 5G use cases.
There are some promising developments in Europe in this vein, where Mohyeldin said that the European Commission is expected to soon makes its final decision on harmonization of the 3.8-4.2 GHz band for local-area networks at low- and medium-power. This type of harmonization is particularly important for the EU, Mohyeldin noted, with its high levels of cross-border coordination.
“It is a policy objective … for many governments to have this further digitalization,” she added. “And this is maybe the … first crucial step that is happening currently in Europe.”
Watch this full session and more on-demand at Industrial 5G Forum’s website.
