Private Networks Global Insights Tool

About the Global Insights Tool

Your guide to current and future private networking activity

Last update: April 2024

Our global insights tool provides a comprehensive source of information on private network deployments globally. The interactive tool includes extensive data covering live commercialised and PoC deployments of private networks spanning 4G LTE, 5G and network slicing. Each deployment entry outlines key details including geography, operator, connectivity type, technology vendors, industry vertical, main use cases and date of implementation.

Insights from our database of global deployments can be drawn from the STL analysis accompanying the tool, or by using the custom filters available with the premium version of the tool. The premium version of the tool enables subscribers to build their own bespoke private network market analysis to understand:

Definitions and explanatory notes

  • The leading and emerging players in private networks
  • Anchor verticals and use cases
  • Inflexion points for private 5G, network slicing, O-RAN based deployments
  • Operator-specific and vendor-specific activities 
  • Maturity of key partners and competitors

In the premium dashboard, you can access a copy of this visualisation which includes the full dataset from the private networks global insights tool, as a supplement to the excel format of the global insights tool. 

We have data that can be filtered by geography (region, country), vertical, type of lead partner, partner ecosystem, type of private network and other variables to provide rich insights on overarching trends in the private networking market.

Our data

The data used in our global insights tool is primarily drawn from public-domain information, such as press releases from operators, vendors and enterprise customers, along with reputable industry media. It builds on an extensive body of analysis by STL Partners on private network strategies, technology and market development. The data will be updated bi-annually.

Scope and content

All of the deployments featured in the Global insights tool conform to the STL Partners definition of private networks which you can read more about our definition of private networks in our article outlining the topic. In brief, we consider there to be three defining characteristics of a private network: 

  • Dedicated resources: which may include network infrastructure, platform and/or spectrum. This may not be physically dedicated, but can be logically dedicated (i.e. network slicing) 
  • Dedicated user groups/SIMs: access to the network is controlled and limited to a group of certain users who may have logically dedicated SIMs, which may be virtual 
  • Customised KPIs: where the network is designed and customised to meet use case requirements that can’t be met by best-effort public networks. 

As stated above, we draw from a rich dataset to provide insights into deployments of private networks globally; you will find information relating to deployments of network slicing, private LTE and private 5G.