A new report from SNS Telecom & IT describes the growth of CBRS 5G private networking
Vehicle manufacturing operations are leading the way
Other major CBRS private network users include mining operations, healthcare, education and government
5G private networks using 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) will grow significantly over the next few years, according to a CBRS report from analyst firm SNS Telecom & IT.
Private 5G standalone (5G SA) CBRS networks are starting to arrive in the United States this year after much talk about companies deploying the shared spectrum for 5G enterprise use.
“There are already a number of standalone 5G implementations operating in 3.5 GHz CBRS spectrum, and we expect these deployments to grow significantly over the coming years, reaching as much as $800 million in annual spending by 2027,” SNS Telecom & IT 5G research director Asad Khan told Fierce in an email.
SNS revealed earlier this year that Tesla was using Ericsson gear to deploy 5G private networks in its factories in Austin, Texas; Berlin and beyond.
“Tesla is ... migrating PROFINET and PROFIsafe-based [automated guided vehicles] communications from Wi-Fi to private 5G,” SNS said in its CBRS report.
Much of the early work on 5G CBRS private networks has taken place at large vehicle manufacturing companies in the U.S. SNS noted that BMW has deployed a private 5G network to support autonomous logistics at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Toyota Material Handling has rolled out a similar network at its forklift plant in Columbus, Indiana. Agricultural vehicle maker John Deere, meanwhile, has started to update its CBRS private networks in 12 of its plants in middle America from 4G LTE to 5G.
SNS said that other major CBRS private network users include mining operations, healthcare, education and government. Much of the private network work is still using 4G LTE for the cellular element.
Dell’Oro Group has previously said that Nokia is the major supplier of private networks in the Western world. Ericsson, however, is pushing to deliver CBRS private networks for business customers in the U.S.
Private companies like Celona, iBwave, Inseego and others also report strong demand for CBRS.