China Unicom: Scaling up private wireless networks in the largest and most innovative 5G B2B market

Digital transformation of enterprises is accelerating across all vertical sectors, with next-generation connectivity being an important driver and enabler and a top area of investment. GSMA Intelligence surveyed 5,320 enterprises across 32 countries and 10 vertical sectors to gain relevant insights into their digital transformation across a range of technologies. This report analyses the key findings and implications for 5G and/or private networks technologies.

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on private networks, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and the implications. The report considers four major developments: Nokia's shift in focus in the private networks space; gathering momentum for private networks in Europe; the varying strategies of satellite vendors; and spectrum policy and mmWave trends.

From a telecoms perspective, robotics was recognised early on as a key future use case during the planning and rollout of 5G around seven years ago. With 5G-Advanced now commercially deployed in early-adopter countries, it is timely to evaluate 5G’s real-world impact on robotics. We also explore how complementary technologies such as edge computing, IoT and eSIM are shaping the connectivity landscape.