| Study Period | 2019 - 2030 |
| Base Year For Estimation | 2024 |
| Forecast Data Period | 2025 - 2030 |
| Market Size (2025) | USD 0.81 Billion |
| Market Size (2030) | USD 5.82 Billion |
| CAGR (2025 - 2030) | 48.16 % |
| Market Concentration | Medium |
Major Players
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order |
Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market Analysis
The Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market size is estimated at USD 0.81 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach USD 5.82 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 48.16% during the forecast period (2025-2030).
The trend of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is observed in every sector, and to develop the urban outlook, Governments are working on smart city models.
- Smart cities' essential features are robust optical fiber connectivity, Wi-Fi, intelligent traffic management, smart parking, and energy-efficient street lighting. Small cells will be crucial in developing these smart cities because they can offer next-generation solutions.
- In the Asia-Pacific region, dominant operator groups are absent, and different countries have different levels of telecom development. Some countries of the region lack appropriate fiber penetration, and most currently operational macro sites lack fiber backhaul connectivity. Fiber backhaul support is required to deploy small cells efficiently and raise the current fiberization levels of large cell sites.
- Since underground fiber installation is costly and time-consuming, aerial fibers have been implemented in Japan due to their comparatively quick and straightforward installation processes. The slow installation of 5G infrastructure will restrain the small cell 5G market.
- To offer better indoor coverage, in Feb 2023, Ericsson developed the IRU 8850 indoor radio unit that will provide better network performance and user experience, regardless of the size or complexity of the building. The company claims it delivers up to four times the capacity of its predecessors.
Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market Trends
Telecom Operators are expected to Hold Significant Share
- The advent of 5G in the Asia-Pacific region has accelerated small-cell deployment for high-speed network connectivity. Many nations have created exemption standards that can be applied when deploying new Small Cells. For instance, in Singapore, The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has directed the building developers and owners to provide rooftop spaces free of charge for telecommunication equipment the telecom providers.
- Japan's Government has granted permissions for installing 5G base stations on 208,000 traffic lights across the country. Local administrations and operators jointly shared the costs of using the traffic lights for 5G deployments. This will help with more deployment of the solution in less time, thereby circulating 5G connectivity faster throughout the country.
- In South Korea, 202,903 5G base stations were installed at the end of February 2022, and investments are being made to expand the network further. This has opened the door for ground-breaking 5G applications and services, like robotics integration into the workplace, smart city planning, and self-driving cars. For instance, SK Telecom and Samsung Electronics collaborated to develop 5G option 4 technology, which is an advanced option to the existing 5G Standalone technology.
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China is Expected to Hold Major Share
- China is leading 5G development on a worldwide scale. More than 2.54 million 5G base stations have been built nationwide, and more than 575 million people now own 5G smartphones. The country further plans to invest 1.2 trillion yuan (174.2 billion USD) in 5G network construction by 2025. This growing demand for a 5G stable network is accelerating the deployment of small-cell solutions in the country.
- Along with 5G developments, research is ongoing for 6G technology. IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group has been formed in the country to speed up the R&D of 6G technology. Around 2030, the world is anticipated to witness the commercialization of 6G. China is leading the charge in supporting the commercialization of 5G, which will provide a strong basis for the development of 6G.
- The technology leaders like Huawei, ZTE, and (state-owned) Datang Telecom are the big beneficiaries of China’s 5G infrastructure spending. For instance, the Beijing Branch of China Mobile, the China Mobile Research Institute, China Transport Telecommunications & Information Group, and ZTE all collaborated on the 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) testing.
- Communication instances, including synchronization, broadcasting, accessing, and data transmission, were all successfully tested during this trial.
- In August 2022, China Mobile collaborated with Comba Telecom to deploy small cell base stations. These are designed for complex indoor locations to provide greater flexibility and efficiency for medium- and large-scale indoor radio networks.
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Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Industry Overview
The Asia-Pacific small cell 5G market is moderately concentrated, with prominent players leading the overall market. Over the past few years, cellular network growth has increased, and new technologies like 5G are driving demand for fast and effective connectivity options. To cater to the needs of these emerging technologies, these technology providers are making significant investments in developing and improving solutions like small cells that enhance the performance of signals by avoiding obstructions. Some players dominating this market include Nokia Corporation, Huawei, Ericsson, ZTE Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Qualcomm, and more.
In October 2022, HFCL partnered with Qualcomm to develop 5G outdoor small-cell solutions. The 5G drive in India is taking an edge, and the telecom operators need small-cell solutions to complement their macro networks at public venues like airports, railway stations, stadiums, etc. These small-cell solutions will support 5G non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) modes. These small cells will be installed on street poles, building walls, and rooftops to cover the traffic hotspot areas.
In October 2022, Singtel began to use Ericsson's radio cell on its 5G network. The AIR 3268 radio, used in Singtel's networks, reduces energy consumption by up to 18% and weight by around 40% compared to preceding generations of 5G radios. The solution provides real-time channel estimation and removes undesirable noise interferences, boosting capacity, coverage, and connectivity speeds. Singtel aims to become Singapore’s greenest 5G network, achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Adopting this solution will help telecom providers optimize power and energy utilization in their operations.
Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market Leaders
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Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.
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Nokia Corporation
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Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
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Qualcomm Technologies Inc.
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ZTE Corporation
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
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Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market News
- February 2023: Ericsson launched Fusion Unit 5G solution for indoor coverage to cater to small and medium-sized building requirements like movie theaters, restaurants, chain stores, etc. The solution is proficient in technologies like distributed antenna systems (DAS) and small cells. In addition, Ericsson also introduced an indoor radio unit (IRU) 8850 for single or multi-operator deployments in medium to large spaces, which can serve up to eight venues from one centralized location, with a 10 km fiber reach. The clients adopting these new products will be able to save time, as it will boost signal strength and even cost as the same infrastructure will be used for its deployment.
- February 2023: Network operators M1 and StarHub in Singapore formed an alliance named Antina. They extended their contract with Nokia to improve indoor and outdoor 5G coverage in the nation. To provide a better 5G user experience with high bandwidth, breakneck speeds, and minimal latency, Nokia will install its small cell solution called airscale indoor radio (ASiR), covering new buildings along with multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) adaptive antennas.
- January 2023: Huawei launched 5G CPE Pro for SMEs and residential broadband networks, enhancing broadband speeds. The company asserts that after utilizing this new CPE, HD video clips can be downloaded in three seconds, and 8K videos can be watched without lagging.
Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Industry Segmentation
The small cells consist of low-powered radio access points, which can operate in the spectrum from 10 meters to a few kilometers. They are low energy consumption and inexpensive base stations. They can provide high data rates through their dense deployment to achieve high spatial spectrum efficiency. These are cost-effective units deployed in existing infrastructures, like light poles or inside a building. Small cells are essential for 5G networks as they use little power and provide high-band, high-speed covering smaller areas. These small cells can be categorized into femtocells, picocells, and microcells, per the usage.
The Asia-Pacific small cell 5g market is segmented by operating environment (indoor and outdoor), end-user vertical (telecom operators, enterprises, and residential), and geography (China, South Korea, India, Japan, and the Rest of Asia-Pacific). The market sizes and forecasts are provided in terms of value (USD) for the above segments.
| Operating Environment | Indoor |
| Outdoor | |
| End-User Vertical | Telecom Operators |
| Enterprises | |
| Residential | |
| Country*** | China |
| India | |
| South Korea | |
| Japan | |
| Australia and New Zealand |
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Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5GMarket Research FAQs
How big is the Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market?
The Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market size is expected to reach USD 0.81 billion in 2025 and grow at a CAGR of 48.16% to reach USD 5.82 billion by 2030.
What is the current Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market size?
In 2025, the Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market size is expected to reach USD 0.81 billion.
Who are the key players in Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market?
Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Nokia Corporation, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and ZTE Corporation are the major companies operating in the Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market.
What years does this Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market cover, and what was the market size in 2024?
In 2024, the Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market size was estimated at USD 0.42 billion. The report covers the Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market historical market size for years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The report also forecasts the Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G Market size for years: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
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Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5GIndustry Report
Statistics for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. Asia-Pacific Small Cell 5G analysis includes a market forecast outlook for 2025 to 2030 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry analysis as a free report PDF download.
