According to a report by ABI Research, revenues for 5G private network and 5G network slicing deployments in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region will increase from $732 million and $151 million in 2022 to over $13 billion and $12 billion by 2028, respectively.
Within the private 5G cellular space, manufacturing is projected to be the vertical with the highest revenue potential for 5G-to-business applications in the APAC region. Key use cases utilise the capabilities of 5G to enable real-time robotic control for remote-controlled operations, autonomous vehicle operations, extended reality technology for training and support applications, and the collection of a large amount of sensor data for developing digital twins. Some relevant case examples include South Korea’s LG Smart Park and Japan’s Fujitsu Oyama Plant.
In the 5G network slicing domain, the logistics vertical is forecast to be the highest contributor to revenue. Key use cases for 5G adoption include vision-based inspections for autonomous and/or remote-controlled operations, asset tracking, and smart transport applications, as illustrated by China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan Smart Port and Australia’s drone delivery operator Swoop Aero.
Commenting on the report, Matthias Foo, analyst, 5G markets industry, ABI Research, said, “5G-to-business applications have been shown to improve productivity and reduce costs for enterprises across different verticals. Beyond that, 5G enterprise deployments were also shown to reduce power consumption by improving equipment efficiency through data analytics and workplace safety with machine vision and artificial intelligence (AI).”
Meanwhile, Jake Saunders, vice president, APAC and research director, 5G markets research service, ABI Research, said, “While the 5G-to-business market in APAC is currently driven by several key countries, there continues to be a large opportunity for 5G-to-business growth in the region as more countries, such as India, begin to roll out their 5G networks and more communication service providers (CSPs) deploy 5G standalone networks. While the economic outlook in many regions has become more uncertain, 5G cellular coverage and innovations continue. Those firms and countries implementing 5G-to-Business applications are most likely to secure first mover advantages.”
