Surge in 5G mobile data to drive small cell deployments to 13 million by 2027: ABI Research

NEW DELHI: Outdoor 5G small cell deployments will reach 13 million by 2027 as telecom operators globally seek to upgrade their network capacity amid a surge in 5G mobile data traffic, which is projected to reach 1676 exabytes (EB) in 2026 growing at a rate of 63% compounded annually, according to a report by ABI Research.

With a limited number of new macro cell sites available and a limited number of 5G spectrums, the most practical approach is the dense deployment of 5G small cells, albeit at a high cost as well, according to the firm.

Currently, Massive MIMO (mMIMO) macro cells have fulfilled 5G capacity demands, but these may not likely be adequate, making small cells crucial. The research firm further projects that 5G small cell deployments will overtake 4G in 2028.