RF Front-End market on 10% CAGR 2023-28

The small cell and mmWave radio  Radio Frequency Front-End (RFFE) market for telecom infrastructure is showing significant growth between 2023 and 2028 with a 10% CAGR . 60% of private small cell RFFEs still rely on GaAs platforms in 2023.

Telecommunication equipment manufacturers offer a diverse portfolio of products, including small cells, baseband units, and core networks.

Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, and Samsung provide base station solutions adapted for cellular private networks.

The telecommunications industry is exploring growth opportunities in private networks, particularly with the rise of 5G private networks that enhance services, automation, and efficiency. Private networks provide exclusive wireless access, meeting the security and data needs of modern enterprises.

“Deployed worldwide, private networks are crucial for digital transformation, with significant activity in Asia, China, Europe, and the United States,” says Yole’s Cyril Buey, “in Sub-6 GHz private small cells, steady growth is forecasted, driven by the increasing use of 8TRx small cells. However, 2TRx and 4TRx small cells will remain the primary sub-6 GHz solution.”

The small-cell and mmWave radio RFFE market was $160 million in 2022. This market is projected to show a 10% CAGR to over $320 million by 2028. In this dynamic context, GaAs technology dominates for small cells below 1W, showing an 8% CAGR.

With 44,000 wafer starts in 2022, expected to exceed 75,000 by 2028, the industry focuses strongly on Sub-3 GHz and C-band deployment. While the use of mmWave small cells is growing slowly, their application in FWA for connectivity to Wi-Fi gateways is notable.

“Baseband virtualization (V-RAN) in the 5G standalone architecture shifts baseband and core functions to servers, streamlining cellular private network deployment,” says Buey. “two main private network types are standalone (isolated from public networks) and shared (integrated with MNO networks).”

Private wireless networks require infrastructure (radio access network, core network, devices) and key services (network applications, security, management). RF lines use GaAs for low power and LDMOS /GaN for higher power.

In mmWave radios, massive MIMO and hybrid beamforming increase the number of RF lines. Beamformers manage RF functions and use RFSOI , CMOS , or SiGe technology with 8-32 channels.

Cellular and Wi-Fi, though similar, serve different roles in enterprises. 

Private 4G/5G networks have complex architectures, while Wi-Fi is simpler, user-friendly, and widely compatible. 

Verticals benefiting from cellular private networks include manufacturing, mines, oil and gas, government, public safety, distribution, retail, and public services.