A weaker North American market reflects both the maturity of the region’s 5G cycle and tougher year-over-year comparisons, says Omdia
In sum – what to know:
Emerging market growth – Omdia said global RAN revenue grew in Q1 2026, supported by 5G expansion and modernization projects in Asia and MEA markets.
North America slowdown – U.S. operators reduced spending after peak 5G deployments and amid supply chain pressures tied to semiconductor availability and tariffs.
Vendor positions stable – Huawei remained the global RAN leader while Ericsson continued leading outside China and in North America and Europe.
The global radio access network (RAN) market returned to year-over-year growth in the first quarter of 2026, driven primarily by continued 5G deployments in emerging markets, according to new data from Omdia.
Omdia estimated the global RAN market — including hardware and software but excluding services — reached approximately $8 billion during the quarter. Growth was recorded across most regions except North America, with demand supported by deployments in countries including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as markets across the Middle East and Africa.
According to Omdia’s ranking, Huawei remained the top global RAN vendor in the first quarter of the year, followed by Ericsson and Nokia. Excluding China, Ericsson led the market globally and maintained the top position in both North America and Europe. The top five vendors accounted for approximately 94% of the market, according to the research firm.
In comments shared with RCR Wireless News, Omdia analyst Pascal Remy said the weaker North American market reflected both the maturity of the region’s 5G cycle and tougher year-over-year comparisons.
“The U.S. is at an advanced stage in its 5G deployment cycle, and logically, investment levels are lower than they were during peak 5G deployment,” Remy said. He added that Q1 2025 had also been strengthened by accelerated investments and inventory buildup linked to tariff uncertainty.
Remy also pointed to ongoing semiconductor supply chain constraints, which continue affecting equipment pricing and delivery timelines.
By contrast, emerging markets are still expanding 5G coverage and carrying out network modernization programs. “Many of these markets are earlier in their 5G cycle, and they still invest to build their 5G network,” Remy said, adding that modernization projects and vendor swaps are also contributing to spending activity.
Despite continued geopolitical restrictions affecting Chinese telecom suppliers in several Western markets, Huawei maintained strong positions across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Remy said the global telecom equipment market is showing signs of regional fragmentation, although industry-wide interoperability standards remain intact.
“There are clearly regions that lean more towards Western vendors, and other regions that lean more toward Chinese vendors,” Remy said. However, he noted that vendors continue to rely on common 3GPP standards that preserve interoperability and economies of scale across the broader mobile ecosystem.
Omdia said its forecast for the full year 2026 remains essentially unchanged. The firm expects the global RAN market ex-China to be flattish compared to 2025, with potential for movement either side depending on currency effects, supply chain conditions, and deployments timing.
According to a recent report by Dell’Oro, global RAN revenue remained broadly stable during the first quarter of 2026, continuing a trend of limited market volatility that has persisted for more than a year.
The research firm said worldwide RAN revenue, excluding services, increased at a low single-digit year-over-year rate during the quarter, marking the fifth consecutive quarter in which the market remained within a relatively narrow range of minus 4% to plus 4%.
Stefan Pongratz, vice president for RAN market research at Dell’Oro Group, told RCR Wireless News that operators are currently in a relatively comfortable position regarding network coverage and capacity, reducing the urgency for aggressive RAN investment cycles.
