Private 5G Networks are entering a new stage of commercialization with enterprises serving as some of the key use cases, according to recent research by GSMA Intelligence. As a result, enterprise adoption of private networks is set to increase significantly in 2025. In fact, GSMA Intelligence’s Global Mobile Trends 2025 predicts that private network deployments will grow at a rate of 4 to 5 percent a year.
Tim Hatt, head of research and consulting at GSMA, and Tamer Kadous, general manager of terrestrial networks at GlobalStar, discussed the progress of the private wireless segment during the Mobile World Live webinar “Unlocking the Power of Private 5G Networks: the Ultimate Advantage for Business,” held early in April.
“It is not just the number of deployments, but it’s the types of deployments that are important,” Hatt said. “We’re seeing larger scale builds, and as we move into more dedicated spectrum areas, the use cases are now mission-critical applications and ultra-low latency applications. It’s both growing in number and in terms of the depth of the performance.”
Mobile network operators have accelerated their commercial promotion of private 5G to an expanded customer base and the feedback from early adopters is positive for 65 percent of MNOs, according to GSMA research. “Some 24 percent of operators claim their customers have already achieved expected benefits and significant financial returns, while 41 percent claim customers have achieved expected benefits and need more time to validate whether they have achieved significant financial returns,” GSMA writes.
“A lot of the attention is being directed toward how connectivity in the private wireless space can be serviced, because there is a burgeoning demand for it,” Hatt said. “There is quite an opportunity here to monetize the enterprise segments through this private wireless dimension.”
Segments leading the demand for private wireless networks include companies that need connectivity for mission-critical activity, surge traffic and reliable uplinks, as well as public sector and infrastructure companies. GSMA surveys show the most interest in the adoption of private 5G networks coming from media, smart cities, public sector, military defense and financial service.
“Mission-critical connectivity is needed across a range of verticals, including defense, oil & gas, energy, manufacturing and transport & logistics. There is also strong demand from segments that need to cater to surges in traffic. For example, live entertainment is driving demand for reliable connectivity, with operators looking to address this through private 5G,” GSMA writes.
“And the implication of that is if you’re able to service some of these verticals, either directly through the IoT or partnering with the private wireless, the monetization potential is significant,” Hatt said.
Private Wireless Network Opportunity Garners New Entry
GlobalStar (NYSE American: GSAT) is well known for operating a LEO satellite service, operating in 100 countries. But it has diversified into something decidedly down to earth, private 5G terrestrial networks.
In 2124, GlobalStar announced the commercial availability of XCOM RAN, a multipoint radio access network designed for dense 5G wireless applications. The technology addresses the challenges that private networks face in achieving high performance in the enterprise.
“Traditional private wireless networks rely on the public unlicensed or shared spectrum, which struggles with capacity constraints in high-throughput applications,” Kadous said. “Industrial settings generate high levels of RF noise, which can lead to unpredictable latency, degraded signal quality, and reduced network reliability.” Additionally, traditional networks rely on handshaking protocols between devices and access points, which increase latency, introduce handoff inefficiencies and degrade network performance.”
Built on Open RAN (ORAN) architecture, XCOM features joint processing algorithms that support end-to-end system performance with at least 4x higher capacity gains compared with traditional private 5G systems both in the downlink and uplink. XCOM uses 5G Standalone technology that follows 3GPP standards and it operates on spectrum licensed through GlobalStar in the 2.4 GHz band (Band n53), CBRS shared spectrum (3.55 GHz — 3.7 GHz), and C Band (3.3 GHz — 3.8 GHz).
XCOM RAN achieves these performance gains within a single logical cell comprised of multiple Remote Radio Units (RRU). As a result, inter-cell interference is nonexistent and there are no interruptions due to cell handovers. Because all the RRUs data streams are in precise synchronization, interference-generated noise is eliminated, according to GlobalStar.
“One thing that makes XCOM RAN different is that the entire network acts as one Super Cell, where every radio unit added increases both coverage and capacity, with no need for additional spectrum or cell handovers,” Kadous said.
Kadous said operating in Band n53 provides the advantage of supporting the expanding need for edge computing and enterprise IoT by offering a dedicated, interference-free mid-band spectrum.
“Unlike shared spectrum, which can become congested, Band n53 enables low-latency, high-reliability connections essential for real-time processing at the network edge,” he said. “This allows IoT devices, industrial sensors, and AI-driven automation systems to operate without dependency on cloud-based processing, ensuring faster decision-making, improved security, and reduced bandwidth costs.”
