5G Infrastructure Market Research Report: By Component (Hardware, Service), Communication Infrastructure (Small Cell, Macro Cell), Core Network (SDN, NFV), Network Architecture (5G NR Non-Standalone LTE Combined, 5G Standalone), Operating Frequency (Sub 6 GHz, Above 6 GHz), End User (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Government) – Global Industry Analysis and Growth Forecast to 2030

Market Overview

The size of the global 5G infrastructure market in 2020 was ~$1.5 billion, and it is expected to show significant growth during the forecast period (2021–2030). The key factors responsible for the growth of the market are an increase in the adoption of technologies that demand fast internet connection, such as artificial intelligence (AI); rise in the demand for low-latency internet, increase in the adoption of virtual networking architecture in telecommunications, and growth in the number of mobile data users. Further, the usage of machine-to-machine (M2M) connections in various industries would drive the deployment of 5G infrastructure in the upcoming years.

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to negatively affect the 5G infrastructure market. The implementation of lockdown in many places has stopped the operations of organizations. Because of this pandemic, the supply chain of the 5G infrastructure market is getting hampered day by day, due to which many organizations have delayed their launching of 5G networks. For instance, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. has delayed the launch of its 5G mobile network in Europe.

5G Standalone (NR + core) Network Architecture Held Larger Share in 2020

In 2020, on the basis of network architecture, the 5G standalone (NR + core) category held the larger market share, and it would continue on this path during the forecast period. This can be credited to the rise in the adoption of 5G-powered devices and advancements in the field of telecommunications. Moreover, the rapidly widening subscriber base and benefits such as network scaling to support the changing network demands are leading to the high adoption of the 5G standalone (NR + core) network architecture around the world.

Above-6-GHz Operating Frequency Category To Grow Rapidly during Forecast Period

The market for above-6-GHz operating frequency would show significant growth in the upcoming years. This is attributed to the heavy investments by telecommunication service providers to obtain high- and mid-bank frequencies and deliver high-bandwidth services to corporate businesses, industries, and retail consumers. Further, above-6-GHz frequencies have many advantages, such as support for spectrum harmonization, which means less interference in radio along national borders.

North America Is Largest Market for 5G Infrastructure Components

North America was the largest market for 5G infrastructure components in 2020, and it would grow considerably during the forecast period. This can be ascribed to the heavy investments in 5G infrastructure by governments. For instance, in October 2020, funds for the rural areas in the U.S. were created by the Federal Communications Commission, to provide up to $9 billion in universal service fund, in order to deploy advanced 5G wireless services. Further, the increasing adoption of advanced technologies, such as the internet of things (IoT), AI, wearable technologies, and autonomous driving, and presence of a large number of 5G infrastructure organizations, including T-Mobile US Inc. and Verizon Wireless Services LLC, is propelling the market in the region.

Adoption of Network Slicing Technique in 5G Infrastructure Is Key Market Trend

Network slicing is used to divide single network connections into many virtual connections, to deliver a different quantity of resources to different types of traffics, by using network virtualization. Organizations in the 5G infrastructure market are focusing increasingly on network slicing, as it has several beneficial features, such as edge computing, platform security, data security, cloud computing, and near-real-time latency. This technique allows service providers to make a dedicated virtual network as per the customer needs or for specific uses. Thus, these factors and capabilities of the network slicing technique would propel the growth of the 5G infrastructure market.

Increasing Deployment of IoT-Enabled Products Propelling Expansion of 5G Infrastructure

The fast deployment of IoT applications is boosting the global 5G infrastructure market advance. The increasing popularity of virtual and augmented reality, AI, and remote-controlled systems is the main factor behind the increasing deployment of IoT applications. In IoT, data is shared between many parts of a machine over a wireless network. The data is taken from a source of input or sensors and then used to send the output. 5G network helps in this process by transferring the data with low latency, which makes IoT devices more reliable.

Rising Adoption of 5G-Enabled Devices Driving Market

5G network has been created to match the growth in data usage and robust connectivity requirements. The adoption of 5G-enabled smartphones and other devices is increasing, thus propelling the sale of 5G subscriptions. For instance, according to Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson’s report, more than 10 million subscriptions were estimated by the end of 2019 worldwide, and many organizations, such as ZTE Corporation, are investing in the development of 5G networks. These factors indicate that there would be significant growth in the 5G infrastructure in the upcoming years.

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Market Players Launching New solutions and Collaborating with Each Other

Owing to the vast potential of the 5G infrastructure market, many players are launching new and advanced solutions and strategically collaborating with other organizations. Some of the major players in the 5G infrastructure market are Airspan Networks Inc., Affirmed Networks Inc., American Tower Corp., AT&T Inc., China Mobile Ltd., Cisco Systems Inc., Ciena Corporation, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., KT Corporation, NEC Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

In April 2021, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. released a whitepaper on virtualized radio access network (vRAN). vRAN offers many benefits, such as flexibility, enhanced network scalability, and resource efficiency, and allows operators, based on the network traffic pattern, to scale components automatically and distribute resources freely.

In June 2019, AT&T Inc. collaborated with International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) to provide wireless 5G networking and edge computing for businesses, in order to process the data on the client’s site instead of the public network, by deploying AT&T’s 5G and multi-access edge computing at its Thomas J. Watson Research Center.

Some Key Players in 5G Infrastructure Market Are:

5G Infrastructure Market Size Breakdown by Segments

The 5G infrastructure market report offers comprehensive market segmentation analysis along with market estimation for the period 2015-2030.

Based on Component

• Hardware
  • Radio Access Network (RAN)
  • Core network
  • Backhaul & transport
• Service
  • Consulting
  • Implementation & integration
  • Support & maintenance
  • Training & education

Based on Communication Infrastructure

• Small Cell
• Macro Cell

Based on Core Network 

• Software-Defined Networking (SDN)
• Network Function Virtualization (NFV)

Based on Network Architecture

• 5G NR Non-Standalone LTE Combined
• 5G Standalone (NR + Core)

Based on Operating Frequency

• Sub 6 GHz
• Above 6 GHz

Based on End User 

• Residential
• Commercial
• Industrial
• Government

Geographical Analysis

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • France
  • U.K.
  • Italy
  • Spain
• Asia-Pacific (APAC)
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • Australia
  • South Korea
• Latin America (LATAM)
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
• Middle East and Africa (MEA)
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa