At least 370 companies are investing in private mobile networks based in LTE or 5G, The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) said.
The number includes trials and pilot deployments, network launches or investment in licences that would enable deployment of private LTE or 5G networks, the report said on Wednesday.
GSA has identified 45 countries/territories with private network deployments based on LTE or 5G or where 5G-suitable private network spectrum licences have been assigned.
While LTE still accounts for the majority of private mobile networks deployments for which it has data, the market share of 5G is growing. LTE is being used in 64 percent of the private mobile networks down from 81 percent in October 2020. 5G is now being deployed (or planned for deployment) in 44 percent of private mobile networks, including 8 percent which are both LTE and 5G.
GSA’s data still suggests that manufacturing is an early adopter of local area private mobile networks with 79 identified companies holding suitable licences or involved in known pilots or deployments of LANs or probable LANs (up from 51 at the start of 2021).
Mining follows second, with ports also actively trialling/deploying local area private mobile networks. Meanwhile the data suggests that utilities, police/security/public safety/defence, communications/IT and rail are the biggest users of wide area private mobile networks.
Automotive companies account for over a quarter (25.3 percent) of the 79 identified manufacturing companies holding suitable licences or involved in known pilots or deployments.