The Future Inside: Advancements and Opportunities in Indoor 5G

Indoor 5G enables high-speed, low-latency connectivity in enclosed environments like offices, hospitals, and airports, supporting mission-critical applications and smart building operations. The market is driven by technological advancements in small cells, distributed antenna systems, and a mix of mmWave and Sub-6 GHz bands. Asia-Pacific leads in adoption due to smart city initiatives and government support. Picocells and antennas are key components, with growing demand in emerging economies fueled by subsidies and infrastructure upgrades. Recent developments include partnerships and acquisitions aimed at strengthening indoor 5G capabilities.
The Future Inside: Advancements and Opportunities in Indoor 5G

Indoor 5G refers to the deployment of high-speed, low-latency 5G networks inside buildings and enclosed environments such as hotels, airports, offices, hospitals, shopping malls, and factories. With businesses and consumers demanding faster, more reliable, and secure connectivity, indoor 5G is becoming essential for smart buildings and next-generation digital services. It enables uninterrupted communication, enhanced automation, and advanced AI-powered operations, making it a game-changer across multiple industries.


Supporting mission-critical applications is a primary factor driving the indoor 5G. Applications that include emergency response coordination, real-time healthcare monitoring, industrial automation, and security surveillance rely on ultra-reliable, low-latency connectivity that legacy networks do not always provide indoors. Indoor 5G gives the ability to maintain high-quality wireless communications without interruptions in locations where time-sensitive decision-making and continuous data streaming are critical. As government entities and organizations continue to rely on these mission-critical applications, the demand for robust indoor 5G infrastructure continues to increase, which enables organizations to maintain safety, operational efficiencies, and resilience, in high-stakes environments.

Various technological advancements that offer improved performance and scalability influence the indoor 5G. These improvements in small cell technology, such as beamforming and multi-user MIMO support, are increasing the signal strength and user capacity in dense indoor spaces such as offices, shopping malls, airports, hospitals, etc. Furthermore, small cells are low-power, compact nodes that deliver fast 5G coverage where macro networks have difficulty penetrating. Also, mmWave (millimeter wave) and Sub-6 GHz frequency bands are interestingly combined in the networks to strike a balance between speed (with mmWave) and reliable coverage (with Sub-6 GHz) for greater versatility in different building types and use cases.

Asia-Pacific is set to emerge as the fastest-growing and largest Industry for indoor 5G solutions in the coming years.

The indoor 5G is currently dominated by the Asia-Pacific region, which is fueled by rapid urbanization, governments investing heavily in smart city projects, and various government initiatives urging the adoption of the next generation of connectivity infrastructure. Some of the early adopters of 5G technology such as China, South Korea, and Japan are focusing specifically on high-density indoor area. The evolution of China’s 5G network is progressing at a quick pace. Nonetheless, the indoor coverage in crucial locations, including transportation hubs, big stadiums, main commercial zones, and office buildings is still not meeting user expectations. By being open to new techniques such as 3CC CA, China Unicom Beijing currently offers a 300-MHz bandwidth during congestion indoor service and a heavy-load scenario at the Beijing Workersโ€™ Stadium and Birdโ€™s Nest.

Antennas are likely to see the fastest growth among distributed antenna system components during the forecast period.

Antennas are a vital component of indoor 5G deployments, as they provide effective signal distribution, better coverage, and enhanced network performance within enclosed environments. The antennas in the indoor area receive the signal from the carrier and disseminate that signal in the areas of usage. The critical part of deploying the indoor 5G is the antenna placements themselves, as the performance of an indoor 5G solution depends on it. Antenna placements are decided upon through coverage and capacity requirements, along with network topology and any building construction.

The picocell segment is expected to lead growth among small cell technologies in the coming years. Picocells are small cellular base stations optimized for providing targeted 5G coverage in indoor environments with a medium user density such as office buildings, hospitals, retail stores, and campuses. Picocells typically cover an area approaching or less than 200 meters and provide an enhanced, more stable signal in indoor space compared to macro cells, particularly when building materials affect coverage penetration. A single picocell can support between 30 to 100 individual users and has medium power levels for transmission between 250 milliwatts to 2 watts. Picocells rely on a wired or fiber backhaul connection to connect to the wider network infrastructure. These cells are typically deployed in high-volume or high-traffic indoor environments, where one coverage area will have multiple picocells.

Government subsidies and emerging economies create a significant opportunity for the indoor 5G market. As developing countries continue to improve their digital infrastructure and smart city initiatives, we are seeing the demand for robust indoor connectivity in public buildings, transit centers, hospitals, and schools increasing. Countries in Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa are publicly subsidizing, incentivizing, and supporting policies to get 5G deployed as quickly as possible, especially in last-mile or dense urban areas. These policies make indoor 5G infrastructure projects, including last-mile indoor, government-funded projects, easier to complete and act as catalysts for public and private-sector investment in indoor 5G infrastructure. In May 2020, the Hong Kong government adopted the “Subsidy Scheme for Encouraging Early Deployment of 5G” as part of its Anti-epidemic Fund as a way to speed 5G deployments, including indoor applications, among businesses and organizations.

Recent Developments Shaping the Future of Indoor 5G

  • In April 2025, Nokia and Bharti Airtel are expanding their partnership to enhance Airtel’s 4G/5G network experience in India. Nokia will deploy its Packet Core and Fixed Wireless Access solutions, enabling seamless integration of 5G and 4G technologies, and providing additional capacity for home broadband and enterprise services. This collaboration aims to improve network quality, reduce operational costs through automation and GenAI, and support Airtel’s transition to 5G standalone architecture.
  • In April 2025, Airspan Networks Holdings LLC completed its acquisition of Corning Incorporatedโ€™s wireless business. The deal gives Airspan full ownership of Corningโ€™s 6000 and 6200 distributed antenna systems (DAS) and SpiderCloud 4G and 5G small cell RAN portfolio. This acquisition strengthens Airspanโ€™s position in indoor connectivity by offering a more comprehensive wireless solutions portfolio.

Recent Content

Twelve major European telecom providers, including Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom, have jointly urged the EU to allocate the full upper 6GHz band (6.425โ€“7.125 GHz) for mobile use, citing the spectrumโ€™s critical role in future 6G deployment. With the U.S. and China already advancing in this area, operators warn that delays could jeopardize Europeโ€™s digital leadership and hinder next-generation connectivity infrastructure.
Dirty data in data centers undermines everything from AI accuracy to energy efficiency. With poor metadata, data drift, and dark data hoarding driving up costs and emissions, organizations must adopt DataOps, metadata tools, and a strong data culture to reverse the trend. Learn how clean data fuels smarter automation, compliance, and sustainability.
Even the most polished network plans can collapse during deployment due to a hidden gap between design and reality. Traditional planning tools operate in silos and rely on outdated assumptionsโ€”like accurate GIS data or up-to-date inventory. In todayโ€™s multi-layered networks, thatโ€™s no longer enough. This article explores why static planning falls short, how real-time inventory like VC4โ€™s Service2Create bridges the gap, and what operators need to ensure their rollouts succeed the first time.
The telecom industry in 2025 is undergoing a major transformation, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), cloud growth, next-gen cellular networks, and national data sovereignty. AI is reshaping cellular infrastructure, enhancing spectrum efficiency through innovations like ELAA (Extremely Large Aperture Arrays), and enabling smarter, adaptive networks.
Access to reliable broadband is essential for work, education, and healthcareโ€”but millions of Americans remain disconnected due to high costs. This article explores how the Universal Service Fund (USF), once focused on phone access, must be modernized to support affordable internet in a digital-first economy. With the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program and growing legal uncertainty around USF funding, bold policy reform is urgently needed to close the broadband affordability gap and ensure digital equity.
Vodafone is expanding its role in the UK smart metering upgrade by providing fixed-line connectivity between energy suppliers and the Data Service Platform (DSP). This move complements its existing mobile network role and positions Vodafone as a critical telecom partner in the UK’s digital energy transition, helping to advance national net-zero and smart grid goals.
Whitepaper
Telecom networks are facing unprecedented complexity with 5G, IoT, and cloud services. Traditional service assurance methods are becoming obsolete, making AI-driven, real-time analytics essential for competitive advantage. This independent industry whitepaper explores how DPUs, GPUs, and Generative AI (GenAI) are enabling predictive automation, reducing operational costs, and improving service quality....
Whitepaper
Explore the collaboration between Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University, Ericsson, and Saab at the Aviation Innovation Hub. Discover how private 5G networks, real-time analytics, and sustainable innovations are shaping the "Airport of the Future" for a smarter, safer, and greener aviation industry....
Article & Insights
This article explores the deployment of 5G NR Transparent Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), detailing the architecture's advantages and challenges. It highlights how this "bent-pipe" NTN approach integrates ground-based gNodeB components with NGSO satellite constellations to expand global connectivity. Key challenges like moving beam management, interference mitigation, and latency are discussed, underscoring...

Download Magazine

With Subscription

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Scroll to Top