As carriers bring 5G to market, delivering a consistent, monetizable service is largely dependent on network densification–beyond upgrades at the macro level, this ongoing investment will include large-scale deployment of small cells.
For operators looking to harness millimeter wave spectrum, this is particularly important given the limited nature of high-band frequency propagation. In terms of enterprise investment in small cells, private networks, both LTE and 5G, will help to open up a large market for in-building and campus-type connectivity, which is also boosted by movements around shared spectrum like the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service band in the United States.
