Mobile Experts has released a 5G Millimeter Wave Market Forecast with detailed analysis through 2027 showing the potential for mmWave technology to rise significantly. Millimeter wave network investment picked up in 2019 and 2020, but Mobile Experts' new report shows that operators in the US will be focused on C-Band for another year rather than continuing the mmWave momentum.

However, according to the report more substantial investments in millimeter-wave networks will return in late 2023 and into 2024.

"With the limited number of CAPEX dollars, there is too much near-term return on the C-Band deployments to ignore. The investments will come back to mmWave, but it will take another 12- 18 months in the US," commented Principal Analyst Dan McNamara. "The positive take away is that the increasing demand for data is not going away and mmWave systems work and are needed—it will just take a bit longer to see a wider deployment."

The challenge to the market is knowing precisely where and when to implement increased capacity, which is the main boon of new mmWave technology according to Mobile Experts. C-band can handle the demand now, but as the appetite for data grows, mmWave will become critical. This report shows how current problems with first-generation mmWave networks will be sorted out during this brief intermission, and when Act 2 begins in 2023-2024, mmWave will be able to deliver.

Major Themes to Shape the 5G mmWave Market:

1. 1. Near-term focus on C-band deployments in the US has slowed mmWave rollout in a temporary 'intermission';

2. 2. Repeater shipments will increase as they take an increasingly integrated role in network planning, and;

3. 3. China's entry into the mm-Wave market will make a splash. Detailed models are included in this new report. 

This new report also details the reasons, both technical and practical, why the use of repeaters will grow and be an integral part of 5G networks. An incremental contribution will be from the Fixed Wireless Access market, which will also drive demand for new Customer Premise Equipment (CPEs).

"The timing of a mmWave market in China is still speculative. With the sub-6 GHz bands, China took a strong position and deployed a very large network very quickly," continued Dan McNamara of Mobile Experts. "We expect a similar approach for a mmWave deployment which will result in a huge spike for mmWave solutions in both Infrastructure and Mobile Devices."