APAC & 6G updates; Private Mobile Networks; FWA CPE industry trends and more...
GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association)
The Industry Voice of the Global Mobile Ecosystem
This month’s GSA Monthly Pulse newsletter take a deeper dive into the comparative health of the global mobile ecosystem in the APAC region – the subject of our most recent Regional Spotlight Webinar in August. The accompanying research report highlights the status of 4G, 5G and 5G SA; and to what extent APAC operators and organisations are embracing private mobile networks. It also looks at how the availability of spectrum is shaping the 6G future in the region.
6G - specifically how it will use multiple frequency bands for different applications - is also the subject of a GSA Member Report from Keysight Technologies . There is a short summary below but I encourage you to download the full report which is available on the GSA website.?
This month the GSA Research team will host a Snapshot webinar dedicated to Private Mobile Networks with panellists drawn from 5G-ACIA and the GSA’s Private Mobile Networks Special Interest Group who will look in more detail at the trends that are shaping the deployment of private mobile. Also in September the GSA 45-5G FWA Forum will be hosting a webinar on the findings from its recent Fixed Wireless Access CPE market survey and sharing the latest market data on FWA CPE device shipments. Scroll down to register using the link in the “Upcoming GSA Events” section below.
Finally, we are welcoming a new member to the GSA team. Natasha Gerhard will take on management of member services and is tasked with helping members to maximise the full value of their GSA membership. Below she has outlined the benefits membership gives you and your company and also includes a reminder that as a member you can share your organisation's whitepapers and reports to a global audience of over 21,000 active subscribers that make up the GSA membership.
- Joe Barrett , President, GSA
APAC Regional Spotlight
The GSA is currently tracking 843 networks across the Asia Pacific region. In a recent Regional Spotlight Webinar the Research team presented its latest datasets covering LTE and 5G, private mobile networks, spectrum allocations and 2G / 3G switch-offs in the region. Dig into some of the highlights below.
LTE / LTE Advanced
Globally LTE has peaked in terms of mobile network operator launches. Since 2015, the peak year for launches, the number has reduced from 122 per year to 7 in 2024 so far.
The picture is the same in APAC – with 139 operators in 36 countries investing in LTE networks, and of these, 116 operators have launched. However, the number of operators either deploying or planning launches, has reduced drastically, to 6 and 12 respectively.
Market drivers for this continue to be greater levels of consumer 5G devices and subscribers and the reduced operating costs and higher efficiency of 5G networks.
In Asia Pacific 70 operators in 24 countries are currently investing in LTE-Advanced technology, just over 17% of the global total. The number of launched networks stands at 64 operators in 24 countries or just under 18% of the global total.
As the global market continues its shift toward 5G the number of APAC operators planning future launches is particularly low, with only 4 operators in 3 countries – DiGi Malaysia, Nepal Telecom, Ooredoo in the Maldives and Telekom Malaysia – planning launches.
5G / 5G Standalone
5G has experienced an accelerated uptake globally, particularly since the end of 2020. Currently, APAC has 92 operators in 27 countries, 14% of the global figure, investing in 5G Mobile or Fixed Wireless Access networks. A further seven operators in seven countries are deploying 5G, and 13 operators in eight countries are planning deployments
5G Standalone uptake has not been as comprehensive due to many non-standalone networks still offering higher upload and download speeds. Globally since the end of 2022, the number of operators investing in 5G Standalone has seen a net rise of 31 with 143 operators in 61 countries. In Asia Pacific, the figures are particularly strong with 40 operators in 14 countries investing in 5G standalone and 22 operators in nine countries having launched.
Private Mobile Networks
The GSA’s most recent Private Mobile Network update in May 2024 showed the industry continuing to grow globally. To date 1,427 different customers are deploying private mobile networks around in 78 countries, including much of North America, Europe and Asia, and increasingly across Africa.
In Asia Pacific, 314 unique customer references make up 22% of the global total, mainly in Australia, China and Japan, and in smaller numbers South Korea, India and Thailand
Manufacturing is the largest vertical with 79 customer references. This is followed by Mining (37), largely due to Australia’s large mining industry. Device testing and lab as a service (23), education (21) and power utilities (20) round out the top five
Spectrum Allocations
At least five auctions were concluded in APAC since 2022, ranging from 800MHz to 3.5GHz and in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, New Zealand and South Korea. The price of these auctions has varied greatly with India’s recent C-band auction raising over $10 billion dollars, whilst in contrast the 2.6 GHz auction in Malaysia raised just over $8.5 million dollars.
2025 will see new and rearranged auctions take place in a APAC such as 700 MHz in India to 26 GHz in Malaysia
2G / 3G switch-offs
Globally 145 operators across 68 countries have either completed, are currently in progress, or have planned 2G or 3G switch-offs. In Asia Pacific, legacy networks are being retired in favour of newer and more efficient LTE and 5G networks. 41 operators in 17 countries have either completed, are in progress or have planned 2G or 3G switch-offs.
The region will see more activity in the short to medium term, with Telenor in Myanmar and Pakistan and DTAC in Thailand all planning their respective countries' first switch-offs.
4 things you may not know about GSA
At GSA HQ we're delighted to welcome a new member to the team - Natasha Gerhard, who joins us to manage member services. This is part of GSA's continued commitment to ensuring that as GSA Members and GSA Associates, you are maximising the value of your subscription. Below, Natasha explains some of the main benefits of GSA membership for you and your organisation.
With almost 100 members and associates, the work of GSA includes both gathering and sharing data insights and industry advocacy. But do you know just how much value GSA can bring to your organisation - and your own job?
1. Unrivalled data. Unlimited access. Unbeatable value.
GSA publishes over 160 reports annually covering everything from the status of?5G and 5G Standalone networks around the world to the latest data on 5G devices and chipsets. Reports cover industry hot topics such as Redcap, 5G Broadcast and Non-Terrestrial Networks. GSA reports are the go-to resource for industry regulators, operators, vendors and industry analysts?needing the latest data on spectrum allocations, auctions and pricing. ?
Every GSA Associate has access to all these reports - and the full datasets behind them - as part of the subscription. That means for just ￡2,750 per year, you and all your colleagues?can access over 160 new reports and the full resource library. No limit on seats. No limit on downloads.
2. GAMBoD - unlimited access to SIX global databases
GAMBoD comprises a collection of?six?unique databases, which can be accessed by ALL employees of EVERY GSA Member and Associate organisation via the GSA website. This unrivalled industry resource?contains the most up-to-date global data on 4G & 5G Devices, Networks, Technologies, Spectrum and Chipsets. GSA research tracks over 2,500 operators in the GAMBoD database, including data on over 580 public 5G networks which are being deployed, evaluated, tested or trialled globally, as well as networks that are currently in the planned or licensing stage. All this data is available in GAMBoD (see the video at the bottom of this newsletter for a peak inside!).
If your organisation is a GSA Member or Associate, you personally have unlimited access to all this data, and you can use it to create slides and charts to support you in your daily work. This means you can cite the latest independent market data in your business development planning, your sales presentations, or in your product strategy.
3. Industry advocacy - the voice of the mobile?ecosystem
GSA has focused working groups including Private Mobile Networks and the GSA 4G-5G FWA Forum, which itself has 56 members representing about 80% infrastructure, chipset, module and CPE value chain for FWA. A new RedCap Working Group is in the early stages of being set up. In addition There are Executive Member/Member groups covering Standardisation and a GSA Spectrum Group comprises a team of 185+ spectrum and regulatory affairs specialists from our Executive Member and Member companies. This group is subdivided into regional groupings as well as global teams that focus on such areas as high-band, mid-band, low-band, and spectrum licensing.
Each group brings together key stakeholders from across the mobile ecosytem to share knowledge and build best practice. Later this month, for example, the FWA Forum will be sharing the results from its recent global FWA CPE vendor survey, the most comprehensive report of its kind - you can register for the free event here.
4. Share your insights and expertise with the global mobile ecosystem
The GSA community now includes almost 100 member organisations and over 21,000 active subscribers. Across the GSA website, social channels and through emails such as the weekly research digest and?this newsletter, GSA can promote your organisation's white papers and reports which are of wider interest to the global mobile ecosystem. ?This month, for example, we're featuring a new report from GSA Associate Keysight Technologies that explores the issues impacting spectrum for 6G
To understand more about how your organisation can make the most of its subscription to GSA, please contact the GSA team via the link below.
GSA Member reports:
Published in August 2024
Exploring the 6G Spectrum Landscape - Keysight Technologies
6G will use multiple frequency bands, from the lower bands all the way up to the sub-terahertz bands. They will be used smartly, with different bands used for different applications to complement one another and provide the best all-round user experience. By leveraging different spectra to provide different kinds of performance, 6G will be able to meet the ever-growing demands and expectations for cellular communications.
But what are the spectrum bands being considered? Download this new report from Keysight Technologies to explore 6G spectrum bands in detail.
GSA reports:
Published in August 2024
Spectrum Auction Calendar
Access the latest?update on the status of spectrum auctions and assignments around the world. The report has been updated since April 2024 to reflect activities related to the release of spectrum.?The auction calendar includes all forthcoming auctions and assignments known to GSA. Auctions and assignments are only included when a definite decision to assign the spectrum has been announced. Spectrum under consideration or consultation for assignment is not included.?A list of recently completed auctions and assignments is also provided for reference.
5G FWA CPE Survey
The GSA 4G-5G FWA Forum has released the findings of its annual Fixed Wireless Access CPE market survey, revealing that shipments of FWA CPE are expected to grow 23% to reach 37.5 million units in 2024. Growth of 5G-enabled FWA CPE shipments means they are expected to account for 42% of shipments in 2024 compared with 34% in 2023. By comparison, 4G FWA CPE shipments fell 5% between 2022 and 2023. Less than half of respondents will introduce a new 4G CPE product this year.
Upcoming GSA events
The rate of investment in 4G and 5G private mobile networks is now truly global; over 50 equipment providers, more than 66 different telecom network operators and in excess of 1,400 different customers deploying private mobile networks located across 78 countries around the world.
It is the manufacturing sector that dominates these private mobile network deployments today.
In this Snapshot webinar, the GSA Research Team is joined by representatives of 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA) and the GSA’s Private Mobile Networks Special Interest Group to dig into the trends that are shaping the deployment of private mobile in the manufacturing sector.
You’ll learn from end-user case studies of how manufacturers are using private mobile networks today to transform their operations, increase automation and efficiency or deliver new services.
Dive into private mobile in the manufacturing sector in this 45-minute webinar.
GSA 4G-5G FWA Forum Webinar
September 24th @ 10:00 UK
Deep dive into CPE Survey 2024
5G-enabled FWA devices now mainstream and India and North America driving global growth in 5G FWA CPE shipments. But what's the data behind the headline?
Join the GSA 4G-5G FWA Forum as they dig into the results of this year's Fixed Wireless Access CPE market survey.
Discover the latest market data on: