SNS Telecom & IT identified the global defence sector as a potentially lucrative market for private 5G networks, predicting cumulative spending of $1.5 billion between 2024 and 2027.

The research company stated private 5G networks are becoming popular with armed forces, with typical deployments in military bases and training facilities including the mobile technology itself and satellite connectivity for backhaul. The projected outlay by 2027 would deliver a CAGR of 21 per cent, it explained.

Many militaries are employing commercial-off-the-shelf network set-ups. SNS Telecom & IT noted those complying with 3GPP standards are particularly popular, as armed forces seek to “reduce costs, expedite deployment timelines” and handle “increasingly complex application scenarios”.

The research company also noted open RAN is playing a role in the attractiveness of private 5G networks for the defence sector. It pointed to an appetite by the various branches of the US military for domestic and overseas uses, with authorities pumping more than $650 million into infrastructure for “experimental and operational use”.

Other spending highlighted by SNS Telecom & IT includes a collective $15 million in contracts awarded to Telefonica in Spain covering provision of standalone private 5G networks for use by the Army and Navy, with deployments in helicopter maintenance facilities, naval bases and on ships.

SNS Telecom & IT also highlighted uses in safety management and XR-based training by various national forces.