Introduction
The demand for private mobile networks
based on 4G LTE1
(and increasingly 5G2)
technologies is being driven by the spiralling
data, security, digitisation and enterprise
mobility requirements of modern business
and government entities. Organisations of
all types are combining connected systems
with big data and analytics to transform
operations, increase automation and
efficiency or deliver new services to their
users. Wireless networking with LTE or 5G
enables these transformations to take place
even in the most dynamic, remote or highly
secure environments, while offering the scale
benefits of a technology that has already
been deployed worldwide.
The arrival of LTE-Advanced systems
delivered a step change in network capacity
and throughput, while 5G networks have
brought improved density (support for larger
numbers of users or devices), even greater
capacity, as well as dramatic improvements
to latency that enable use of mobile
technology for time-critical applications.
Private mobile networks are often part of a
broader digital transformation programme
in an organisation. This could include the
introduction or development of cloud
networking and other digital technologies
such as artificial intelligence and machine
learning, and data analytics. More and more
applications of the private mobile network
will use these capabilities combined with
mobile connectivity.
1 The set of requirements that need to be fulfilled by a 4G
LTE system is defined by the IMT-Advanced specifications.
3GPP implements this in Release 8 through Release 14.
2 The set of requirements that need to be fulfilled by a 5G
system is defined by the IMT-2020 specifications. 3GPP
implements this in Release 15 through Release 18 (18 is the
latest release in current development).
In addition to companies looking to deploy
their own private mobile network for the
first time, there is a large group of potential
customers that currently operate private
networks based on technologies such as
TETRA, P25, Digital Mobile Radio, GSM-R
and Wi-Fi. Many of these customers are
demanding critical broadband services that
are simply not available from alternative
technologies, so private mobile networks
based on LTE and 5G could eventually
replace much of this market.
The exact number of existing private mobile
network deployments is hard to determine,
as details are not often made public. To
improve information about this market, GSA
is now maintaining a database of private LTE
and 5G networks worldwide.
Since the last market update, GSA has
been working with Executive Members
Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia on harmonising
definitions of what counts as a valid private
mobile network, and on harmonising
sector definitions. That work has led to
a restatement of some of GSA’s market
statistics.
The definition of a private mobile network
used in this report is a 3GPP-based 4G LTE
or 5G network intended for the sole use
of private entities, such as enterprises,
industries and governments. The definition
includes MulteFire or Future Railway Mobile
Communication System. The network must
use spectrum defined in 3GPP, be generally
intended for business-critical or missioncritical operational needs, and where it is
possible to identify commercial value, the
database only includes contracts worth
more than €100,000, to filter out small
demonstration network deployments

Private mobile networks are usually not
offered to the general public, although
GSA’s analysis does include the following:
educational institutions that provide mobile
broadband to student homes; private fixed
wireless access networks deployed by
communities for homes and businesses;
city or town networks that use local licences
to provide wireless services in libraries or
public places (possibly offering Wi-Fi with
3GPP wireless backhaul) which are not an
extension of the public network.
Non-3GPP networks such as those using
Wi-Fi, TETRA, P25, WiMAX, Sigfox, LoRa
and proprietary technologies are excluded
from the data set. Furthermore, network
implementations using solely network slices
from public networks or placement of virtual
networking functions on a router are also
excluded. Where identifiable, extensions of
the public network (such as one or two extra
sites deployed at a location, as opposed to
dedicated private networks), are excluded.
These items may be described in the press
as a type of private network.
GSA has identified 58 countries and
territories with private network deployments
based on LTE or 5G, or where private
network spectrum licences suitable for LTE
or 5G have been assigned. In addition, there
are private mobile network installations in
various offshore locations serving the oil and
gas industries, as well as on ships.
GSA has collated information about 656
organisations known to be deploying LTE or
5G private mobile networks. Since the last
update of this report in November 2021,
some organisations have been removed
from the database and this analysis, owing
to a lack of evidence that they met the
definition criteria. These examples may be
added again in the future.
GSA would like to thank its Executive
Members Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia for
sharing general information about their
network deployments to enable this dataset

and reports to be produced.

Private Mobile Networks: February 2022