5G small cell deployments will accelerate around 2025, when 5G data demands outstrip the capacity provided by Massive MIMO (mMIMO), according to ABI Research. By 2027, there will be 13 million outdoor 5G small cell deployments, overtaking 4G by 2028.
But that leaves a long runway for mMIMO macro cells, which are currently fulfilling 5G capacity demands. In fact, 5G revenue is currently dominated by mMIMO, and by 2027, there will be 41 million mMIMO deployments worldwide, reaching revenue of $43 billion, ABI Research reports.
In addition, mMIMO technology continues to develop and will likely offer more capacity as time goes on. U.S. MNOs are aggressively deploying 64T64R mMIMO, according to ABI Research, and research is being done to push the number of transmit and receive antennas even higher.
“Ongoing research efforts are focusing on pushing antenna count to 100 or more using GHz frequencies and antennas with small apertures,” ABI Research writes. “mMIMO holds potential to transform wireless communications by improving data rates and link reliability while reducing error rates and costs. In addition to improving spectrum efficiency by leveraging spatial domain, mMIMO introduces more antennas to allow scalable use of low-cost, low-power components.”
The Promises of 5G
Many of the promises made around 5G require the antennas to be closer to the user for lower latency and greater frequency reuse. This requires a densification of the RAN through small cells. With worldwide 5G mobile data traffic reaching 1,676 Exabytes in 2026 and a physical limitation on the number of new macro cell sites available, increased 5G small cell deployment will be inevitable, says the research firm.
“5G small cells complement macro cells, boosting network capacity and extending coverage in dense areas where signals are weak or unavailable. They also allow network operators to derive more value from their existing spectrums by exploiting them more efficiently,” explains Fei Liu, 5G & Mobile Network Infrastructure Industry Analyst at ABI Research.
Just like with mMIMO, small cell technology must evolve to meet 5G needs. They will need to be smaller and lighter while supporting larger channel widths, such as 100 MHz and 200 MHz, according to Liu.
“Compared to the previous generation of small cells, 5G small cells face more challenges in design and performance,” Liu said. “With 5G, there is a wider range of deployment scenarios, forcing vendors to provide comprehensive solutions to support every need.”
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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