Small cells are widely deployed by the mobile network operators for uninterrupted signals. These are small, low-powered nodes with radio access that operate in different types of spectrums. Rapid rise in the number of users of the telecommunication devices and technological advancements in these gadgets are considered to be a major driver for the innovative technologies in the telecom market. Immense rise in demand and adoption trends are considered to be the major drivers for the global small cell market. Smartphone revolution around the world, especially across the emerging markets is expected to create potential growth opportunities in this industry. Technological advancements are also expected to help the industry to maintain impressive rise in the years to come.
Major Industry Drivers
According to the experts, the global small cell market is strongly driven by several key factors, which mainly include the upswing in the demand pattern. This growth in demand is triggered by four vital drivers, which include low CAPEX and APEX, huge surge in the global mobile data traffic, and increasing penetration of the smartphones around the world. Lack of new spectrum and inclusion of Wi-Fi technology in the smart devices like tablets, laptops, smartphones and notebooks are also creating growth opportunities for this market. Hence, despite the restraints like backhaul connectivity, the industry is witnessing steady rise terms of demand and revenue. Major challenges for the market include unavailability of line-of-sight and provision of steady bandwidth.
Segmentation in Small Cell Industry
The global market is segmented into different types of operating environments, services, types, and demand from industrial verticals and different geographic regions. Indoor and outdoor are the two major types of operating environments for small cells. The types include micro cell, femto cell and pico cell. End-user verticals in the market include BFSI, healthcare, education, hospitality, transportation and retail. On the basis of the geographic regions, researchers divide the small cell market into Middle East and Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), Europe and North America (NA). Analysis of all these segments becomes crucial in order to understand the overall growth trends in the industry.
What to Expect?
According to the experts, the global small cell market is expected to maintain a steady rise in terms of demand, production, and global reach and revenue channels. From 2014 to 2019, the global industry is poised to make exponential growth at a projected CAGR of over 41%. At the forecasted growth rate, researchers expect the market to reach $4.8 billion by 2019, which is currently poised at $690.0 million (in 2014). Better personalized services, improved service quality and lower total cost of ownership (TCO) are expected to create potential business opportunities in the market, during the next few years to come.
