The number of LTE small cells will double in 2015 and by a similar factor each subsequent year. In 2020, the value of LTE small cells will represent more than 85 percent of the small cell equipment market, said ABI Research.
4G small cells will be the fastest growing small cell type in the market in 2015 — driven by venue and dense urban deployments.
Outdoor small cells market will deliver 43 percent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) throughout the forecast period.
Telecom network operators such as Verizon, Sprint, China Mobile and Vodafone, among others, are investing in network densification.
“The results of this can be seen in the ramp of small cells this year. As many networks shift from coverage-centric to capacity-focused, MNOs are finding that small cells are an effective way to boost network capacity in high traffic areas,” said Nick Marshall, research director at ABI Research.
In 2015, the challenges of backhaul, power, permitting and sitting, which previously stalled small cell rollout, are being overcome with Small Cells as a Service (SCaaS) from vendors and infrastructure owners, including Alcatel-Lucent, American Tower, Crown Castle, Ericsson, Nokia Networks and Towerstream.
