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US Market for LTE Metrocells to Grow at a 240% CAGR Over Next 5 Years
Published on:
To meet the rising demand for mobile data, operators will need to pursue a multi-pronged approach to upgrading and backfilling for capacity and throughput on their cellular voice/data networks. This approach, which combines RAN upgrades, new licensed spectrum, WiFi, small cells and distributed antenna systems (DAS), is typically referred to as the heterogeneous network or het-net.
Under iGR's classification, there are three types of metrocells: those that operate on 3G only, 4G only and those that can operate on both. iGR believes that ultimately the bigger potential market will be for 4G metrocells, albeit by a small margin.
iGR expects that the total addressable market (TAM) for 4G LTE metrocells in the U.S. will grow at a compounded annual growth rate of nearly 240 percent between 2012 and 2016.
The TAM for 3G metrocells will initially grow strongly (CAGR over 99 percent between 2012 and 2014) before the opportunity declines in favor of 4G LTE deployments.
Overall, the combined TAM for both 3G and 4G metrocells grows at a strong CAGR of 50 percent between 2012 and 2016.
"By 2016, iGR expects the average consumer's consumption of mobile data in the U.S. to increase by ten times over the level in 2011," said Iain Gillott, president and founder of iGR. "The mobile networks must adapt to this vastly increased demand and we see the metrocell, both 3G and 4G versions, as an important part of the solution. Our new study demonstrates the potential for metrocells in the U.S. and shows that the demand in the next five years will far outstrip the number of macro cell sites currently installed."
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