5G Core

Global 5G Core Market to Reach US$20.7 Billion by 2030

The global market for 5G Core estimated at US$4.6 Billion in the year 2024, is expected to reach US$20.7 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 28.6% over the analysis period 2024-2030. 5G Core Software, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is expected to record a 33.9% CAGR and reach US$14.0 Billion by the end of the analysis period. Growth in the 5G Core Hardware segment is estimated at 20.9% CAGR over the analysis period.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at US$1.2 Billion While China is Forecast to Grow at 38.4% CAGR

The 5G Core market in the U.S. is estimated at US$1.2 Billion in the year 2024. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$5.4 Billion by the year 2030 trailing a CAGR of 38.4% over the analysis period 2024-2030. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at a CAGR of 22.4% and 26.0% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 24.2% CAGR.

Global 5G Core Market – Key Trends & Drivers Summarized

Why Is the 5G Core Emerging as the Strategic Nerve Center of Next-Gen Networks?
The 5G core (5GC) plays a foundational role in enabling the full capabilities of 5G networks, acting as the central control point for traffic routing, service delivery, user authentication, and network management. Unlike previous generations that evolved incrementally from legacy architectures, the 5G core is a complete redesign based on service-based architecture (SBA), offering cloud-native, modular, and software-driven control that supports ultra-low latency, massive IoT connectivity, and network slicing. This architectural shift allows operators to launch differentiated services such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC), each with tailored performance profiles. The 5G core enables dynamic policy management, seamless mobility across network slices, and deep integration with edge computing for localized data processing. As telecom operators migrate from non-standalone (NSA) to standalone (SA) 5G networks, the 5G core is becoming essential for unlocking end-to-end 5G capabilities. Enterprises adopting private 5G networks across industries like manufacturing, energy, and logistics are also investing in dedicated 5G core solutions to ensure secure, scalable, and application-specific network performance. These shifts are positioning the 5G core as the command center of digital transformation in mobile connectivity.

How Are Cloud-Native Principles and Open Architectures Transforming the 5G Core Ecosystem?
The transition to cloud-native and containerized network functions is reshaping the design and deployment of the 5G core, enabling unprecedented flexibility, scalability, and service agility. Operators are leveraging microservices architectures to decouple network functions—such as the user plane function (UPF), access and mobility management function (AMF), and session management function (SMF)—allowing them to scale independently based on traffic demand. The integration of orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes and network function virtualization (NFV) is enabling automated deployment, lifecycle management, and fault recovery, significantly improving operational efficiency. Open APIs and standardized interfaces are promoting vendor interoperability, fostering a more competitive and innovation-driven ecosystem. The rise of Open RAN and open core initiatives is further breaking down proprietary silos and allowing telecom providers to build disaggregated networks with best-of-breed components. Public and hybrid cloud platforms are being increasingly utilized to host core functions, enabling elastic resource allocation and accelerating service rollouts. Security frameworks are also evolving, with zero-trust architecture, end-to-end encryption, and continuous monitoring integrated into core network design. These technical evolutions are allowing network operators to deliver customized, SLA-guaranteed services in real time, positioning the 5G core as a programmable engine for future digital infrastructure.

What Commercial and Regulatory Forces Are Accelerating 5G Core Adoption Across Industries?
The adoption of 5G core technology is gaining momentum due to growing commercial demand for high-performance, low-latency, and mission-critical connectivity in enterprise and public sector applications. Industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, energy, transportation, and smart cities are turning to 5G core-enabled private networks to support autonomous systems, predictive maintenance, remote diagnostics, and real-time analytics. Governments across the globe are funding digital infrastructure programs that mandate standalone 5G deployment, thereby accelerating core upgrades among telecom operators. National regulatory authorities are also establishing spectrum policies and network resilience standards that require advanced control, automation, and data sovereignty—all of which are enabled by a robust 5G core. Strategic alliances between telecom operators, hyperscalers, and enterprise vendors are driving integrated core solutions that combine connectivity with edge computing, AI, and cloud infrastructure. Use cases such as remote robotic surgery, connected industrial robotics, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, and drone-based logistics rely heavily on the performance features that only a 5G core can deliver. Additionally, consumer expectations around immersive experiences, such as AR/VR, cloud gaming, and real-time streaming, are compelling network providers to adopt 5G cores that support rapid scalability and dynamic service delivery. These commercial and policy drivers are reinforcing the central role of the 5G core in shaping global digital economies.

What Is Driving the Growth of the 5G Core Market Across Network Operators and Enterprise Use Cases?
The growth in the 5G core market is driven by several converging factors linked to network modernization, service innovation, and enterprise digital transformation. The shift from NSA to SA architecture is creating direct demand for 5G core solutions that support advanced capabilities such as network slicing, QoS differentiation, and real-time analytics. Telecom operators are investing in cloud-native cores to reduce operational expenditure, improve time-to-market for new services, and enhance network resilience. The rise of private 5G deployments in smart factories, logistics hubs, oil rigs, and ports is generating demand for compact, secure, and customizable core platforms with edge orchestration capabilities. Increasing penetration of high-bandwidth consumer services—like 4K streaming, multiplayer gaming, and social AR—requires scalable core infrastructure that can handle unpredictable traffic surges. At the same time, compliance with data localization laws and national security regulations is prompting investments in locally hosted, sovereign 5G core infrastructure. Interoperability and vendor diversity enabled by open core standards are accelerating deployments across Tier 2 and Tier 3 operators. Moreover, the bundling of 5G core with MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing), SD-WAN, and AI-based orchestration is creating highly differentiated enterprise offerings. These factors collectively are establishing the 5G core as the central enabler of intelligent, high-performance, and application-specific network ecosystems worldwide.

SCOPE OF STUDY:

The report analyzes the 5G Core market in terms of units by the following Segments, and Geographic Regions/Countries:

Segments:
Component (5G Core Software, 5G Core Hardware); Architecture (Service-based Architecture, Cloud Native Architecture); End-User (Telecom Operators End-Use, Enterprise End-Use)

Geographic Regions/Countries:
World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa.

Select Competitors (Total 36 Featured) -

• Affirmed Networks
• Alepo USA
• Casa Systems, Inc.
• Cumucore Oy
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (HPE)
• Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Intel Corporation
• Metaswitch Networks Ltd.
• Nokia Corporation
• Oracle Corporation
• Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• ZTE Corporation

TARIFF IMPACT FACTOR

Our new release incorporates impact of tariffs on geographical markets as we predict a shift in competitiveness of companies based on HQ country, manufacturing base, exports and imports (finished goods and OEM). This intricate and multifaceted market reality will impact competitors by artificially increasing the COGS, reducing profitability, reconfiguring supply chains, amongst other micro and macro market dynamics.

We are diligently following expert opinions of leading Chief Economists (14,949), Think Tanks (62), Trade & Industry bodies (171) worldwide, as they assess impact and address new market realities for their ecosystems. Experts and economists from every major country are tracked for their opinions on tariffs and how they will impact their countries.

We expect this chaos to play out over the next 2-3 months and a new world order is established with more clarity. We are tracking these developments on a real time basis.

As we release this report, U.S. Trade Representatives are pushing their counterparts in 183 countries for an early closure to bilateral tariff negotiations. Most of the major trading partners also have initiated trade agreements with other key trading nations, outside of those in the works with the United States. We are tracking such secondary fallouts as supply chains shift.

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APRIL 2025: NEGOTIATION PHASE

Our April release addresses the impact of tariffs on the overall global market and presents market adjustments by geography. Our trajectories are based on historic data and evolving market impacting factors.

JULY 2025 FINAL TARIFF RESET

Complimentary Update: Our clients will also receive a complimentary update in July after a final reset is announced between nations. The final updated version incorporates clearly defined Tariff Impact Analyses.

Reciprocal and Bilateral Trade & Tariff Impact Analyses:

USA
CHINA
MEXICO
CANADA
EU
JAPAN
INDIA
176 OTHER COUNTRIES.

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