5G Core Market Report 2026

5G Core Market Overview

• 5G Core market size has reached to $10.52 billion in 2025 • Expected to grow to $185.88 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 77.6% • Growth Driver: Surge In Data Traffic Driving The 5G Core Market • Market Trend: Orange Unveils World’s First 5G Core Network-As-A-Service To Simplify Standalone Deployments • Asia-Pacific was the largest region and fastest growing region.

What Is Covered Under 5G Core Market?

The 5G core is the 5G network's central component that is responsible for managing data and controlling plane activities. It facilitates secure and dependable network connectivity for end-users and grants them access to network services. The main components of the 5G core include solutions and services. In the context of network operations, services are applications or functions that assist in establishing connections among users, applications, and data within a network. The various solutions included are professional services and managed services deployed over cloud and on-premise. The various network functions include AMF, SMF, UPF, PCF, NEF, UDM, AUSF, AF and NSSF that are used by telecom operators and enterprises.

What Is The 5G Core Market Growth Forecast?

The 5G core market size is expected to see exponential growth in the next few years. It will grow to $185.88 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 77.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to global rollout of 5G networks, rising adoption of private 5G, growth of IoT connectivity, increasing demand for ultra reliable low latency services, expansion of cloud based telecom platforms. Major trends in the forecast period include cloud native core network deployment, network slicing implementation, virtualized network functions expansion, edge integrated core architectures, service based network architecture adoption.

What Is The Driver Of The 5G Core Market?

The explosion of data traffic is expected to propel the growth of the 5G core market moving forward. Data traffic referred to as network traffic pertains to the volume of data that is being transmitted through a network at a particular point in time. Utilizing 5G Core for data traffic management offers various advantages such as enhanced network capabilities, service exposure, and traffic steering features. These benefits offer additional tools for optimizing traffic management and achieving efficient data traffic handling. For instance, according to a report published by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, a Sweden-based provider of IT services, worldwide mobile data traffic hit roughly 90 EB per month in 2022 and is estimated to surge by nearly four times, reaching 325 EB per month by 2028. Therefore, the explosion of data traffic demands increased utilization of the 5G core.

Key Players In The Global 5G Core Market

Major companies operating in the 5G core market are Nokia Corporation; Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson; Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.; Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.; ZTE Corporation; NEC Corporation; Cisco Systems Inc.; Oracle Corporation; Mavenir Systems Inc.; Druid Software Ltd.; Athonet; IPLOOK Technologies; Casa Systems Inc.; NetNumber Inc.; Cumucore; VMware Inc.; Fujitsu Limited; Ribbon Communications Inc.; Parallel Wireless Pvt. Ltd.; Datang Telecom Group

Global 5G Core Market Trends and Insights

Major companies operating in the 5G core market are focusing on developing advanced solutions such as core network-as-a-service (CNaaS) to enhance deployment flexibility and cost efficiency. Core network-as-a-service is a cloud-based model where the operator provides the full 5G core infrastructure managed, scalable and delivered on demand rather than built and hosted by the operator itself thus reducing upfront investment and accelerating rollout. For instance, in March 2025, Orange S.A, a France-based telecommunication company, launched its 5G CNaaS solution featuring a fully managed, cloud-based 5G core infrastructure allowing mobile operators of any size to deploy 5G standalone (SA) networks with speed and lower cost. Key features of the launched product include simplified deployment so that mobile operators do not need to build or maintain their own core network infrastructure, a pay-as-you-grow model that allows operators to scale services according to demand without minimum size requirements, comprehensive management with Orange handling updates and security compliance so mobile operators can focus on expanding their radio coverage, and inclusion of essential services such as IPX connectivity for data integrity and roaming, real-time signalling for SS7/LTE/5G SA traffic visibility, coverage and roaming services for global connectivity and value-added big data analytics for network optimisation.

What Are Latest Mergers And Acquisitions In The 5G Core Market?

In February 2023, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, a US-based global leader of IT services, acquired Athonet srl. The acquisition of Athonet's technology will enable HPE to supply private networking capabilities directly to enterprises as part of its Aruba networking portfolio, as well as enable communications service providers (CSPs) to quickly establish private 5G networks for their clients. Athonet srl is an Italy-based telecommunication service provider.

What Defines the 5G Core Market?

The 5G core market includes revenues earned by entities through services such as service-based architecture and cloud-based architecture. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

How is Market Value Defined and Measured?

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified). The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

What Key Data and Analysis Are Included in the 5G Core Market Report 2026?

The 5g core market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides market statistics, including industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with the market share, detailed market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the 5g core industry. The market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future state of the industry.