Why Only 642,000 Small Cell Site Units were Shipped in 2013

As mobile operators have to approach a critical mass of data traffic before small cells even become a consideration, it is the developed countries (Japan, South Korea, the UK and U.S.) that are driving early adoption. In fact, 642,000 small cell units shipped in 2013 — that’s a 143% spike from 2012; over half of these units are of the 3G variety.

The great small cell ramp did not happen in 2013. Testing activity remained solid, but actual deployments were modest. Small cell revenue was just $771 million last year, a sharp contrast to the $24 billion 2G/3G RAN market.

via Infonetics Research