- GSA said over 2,000 enterprises are now using private networks in 84 countries around the globe
- GlobalData analyst John Marcus said that this shows the "increasing normalcy of cellular as an enterprise connectivity platform"
- Still, global growth could be uneven because of global events and supply chain risks
The Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) said that over 2,000 enterprise customers were using private networks at the end of 2025, but suggested that 2026 momentum hinges on real LTE-to-5G evolution.
"[We] can infer the increasing normalcy of cellular as an enterprise connectivity platform for operations, safety, and automation," stated GlobalData senior principal analyst for enterprise and IoT, John Marcus, in a blog about the GSA report. The latest GSA bulletin said that many organizations have private networks that have generated revenues of over $115,150 each, with a lot of companies having more than one private network deployed.
The report showed that 5G is now leading 4G LTE in new private network deployments, even as LTE still accounts for 51% of the installed base of private networks. Marcus said that this indicates a rising share of 5G-driven expansions where capacity, latency or device roadmap requirements demand it. While LTE systems will continue scaling when the less expensive economics suggest the 4G option is better.
Supply chain risks
The GSA report suggests that the 2026 private network market may be uneven because of the macro uncertainty of world events, supply chain risks and continuing tariffs.
"The market can still grow strongly, but buyers may prioritize projects with fast ROI, reuse of proven architectures, and phased rollouts over big-bang transformations," noted GlobalData's Marcus. "In that sense, 2026 looks set to benefit vendors and enterprises that treat private cellular as an operational platform – one that scales by vertical use cases (and associated KPIs), spectrum readiness, and a realistic LTE-to-5G evolution path."
The report said that deployments across 84 countries, with notable growth in markets such as Canada and Brazil, highlights how private networks are no longer limited to a handful of regions.
Although the GSA report doesn't go into this, Dell'Oro Group said recently that Huawei was the No. 1 global private network vendor, mainly thanks to its dominance in China. While Nokia remains the largest Western vendor, followed by Ericsson and Samsung.