A recent report from Navigant Research provides global market forecasts of smart pole hardware and services, broken out by segment and region, through 2028.
The report, Smart Poles, analyzes the development and drivers of the smart pole market including financial, economic, and connectivity factors for all world regions. The study also includes a forecast for smart pole sectors and examines significant smart pole projects and case studies of major deployments as well as the competitive landscape.
Smart poles are a new feature in the urban landscape that leverage sensor and communications technologies to create an intelligent environment. By providing connection to the electricity grid and a physical location along streets and pathways, smart poles offer an attractive host for mobile broadband small cells as well as public WiFi access points. Smart poles are also well positioned to provide a platform for other smart city technologies including smart lighting systems and sensor arrays. According to the report, global annual deployments of smart poles are expected to increase from less than 600 in 2019 to more than 22,000 in 2028, experiencing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50.8%.
"Though a nascent market, several smart pole drivers have emerged, including current and future needs for public connectivity and cellular network densification," said Grant Samms, research analyst at Navigant Research. "Municipalities are also seeing smart poles as infrastructure that can create new revenue streams and improve public safety by providing charging for electric vehicles (EVs), charging for cellular phones, a platform for advertising, and other features."
According to the report, the multifaceted and often modular design of smart poles can be easily adapted to future needs. The emergence of 5G and the accelerating adoption of smart city strategies is expected to drive increasing demand for this connected infrastructure.
An executive summary of the report is available for download here.
