Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia Networks, and Ericsson Solve Deployment Challenges with Small Cells as a Service Rejuvenating Growth for 2015

​ABI Research’s latest forecast for outdoor small cells includes new market research and revises its expectations for 2014 and the forecast period to deliver a 48% CAGR through 2019. “We expect operators like AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Telefnica, Softbank, SK Telecom, and Sprint to drive the growth by deploying both outdoor small cell and metrocell networks,” says Nick Marshall, mobile networks research director at ABI Research. “These changes to ABI Research’s small cell forecasts reflect real deployment scenarios from discussions with vendors and MNOs which now report that 2015 will witness meaningful small cell deployments.”

The challenges of backhaul, power, permitting, and siting have all served to throttle back small cell rollout. This has driven the rise of Small Cells as a Service (SCaaS) from OEMs such as Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia Networks, and Ericsson and infrastructure owners such as Towerstream, Crown Castle, Cloudberry Mobile, and Virgin Media Business. These services all solve small cell deployment challenges for the mobile operator, removing Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.

In 2015, 4G small cells will be the fastest growing small cell type in the market driven by venue and dense urban deployments. ABI Research forecasts the number of LTE small cells to double in 2015 and by a similar factor each year through 2019 where the value of LTE small cells will represent almost 70% of the small cell equipment market.

The Asia-Pacific region, given its large size and 4G deployments in South Korea and Japan and the start of commercial TD-LTE operations in China and India will grow to represent over 50% of the worldwide small cell equipment market by 2019.

At the recent CTIA Super Mobility Week in Las Vegas, announcements from Nokia Networks, Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent all served to demonstrate LTE small cell momentum with the introduction of their latest and most advanced products to date, all slated for production in 2015. Our take on these announcements can be found in our Insight “Big Three Prep New LTE Small Cells for 2015.”

These findings are part of ABI Research’s Small Cells Market Research.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 70+ research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.