Operators around the globe have purchased more than 1 0 million small cells, according to new research from the Small Cell Forum.
In excess of 75 operators worldwide are using small cells in their networks, the industry body said.
"With careful cross-checking of industry sources, we’ve been able to verify that 10.2 million small cells have now been shipped globally, with over 10 million now deployed," said Joe Madden, principal analyst at Mobile Experts, the analyst firm that carried out the research, in a statement.
"The majority of these to date have been deployed in residential scenarios, but we have also seen a significant step upward in the enterprise and urban sectors," Madden said.
"Our longstanding prediction that non-residential small cells will ramp up in 2015 is becoming a reality, as capacity and indoor coverage are now critical for operators," he added.
17,000 small cells have been deployed in rural or remote applications, the Small Cell Forum said.
At Mobile World Congress earlier this month, the forum shared research form Realwireless predicting that deploying small cells in such areas could open up a market worth $163 billion to operators.
