A recently published report from Dell’Oro Group indicates that the stable trends shaping the Radio Access Network (RAN) market in 2025 extended into the first quarter of 2026. Worldwide RAN revenue, excluding services, increased at a low-single-digit year-over-year rate in 1Q 2026, marking the fifth consecutive quarter where the market remained within a relatively narrow range (-4 to +4% year-over-year). However, market fundamentals remain constrained by slower mobile broadband growth.

“This positive start does not alter the fundamentals shaping the growth prospects of this market,” said Stefan Pongratz, Vice President for RAN market research at the Dell’Oro Group. “We attribute the improved conditions primarily to a favorable regional mix and easier comparisons in markets that experienced sharp declines. Meanwhile, RAN remains growth-constrained, and operators are increasingly preparing for a slower mobile broadband growth environment,” Pongratz added.

Additional highlights from the 1Q 2026 RAN report:

• Growth in EMEA and APAC offset weaker activity in North America.
• Revenue rankings were unchanged in 1Q 2026. Based on trailing four-quarter worldwide revenue, the top five RAN suppliers are Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia, ZTE, and Samsung [1.].
• Regional imbalances continue to shape the market recovery trajectory, with APAC excluding China improving while North America and China remain under pressure.

Note 1. There were no significant market share shifts quarter-to-quarter for these five vendors whose ranking remains the same.  The ongoing war in Iran, with the Strait of Hormuz closed, has disrupted supply chains for specialized components, while higher energy prices are raising operational costs for infrastructure deployment, creating an increasingly complex environment for network equipment suppliers.

About the Report

Dell’Oro Group’s RAN Quarterly Report offers a complete overview of the RAN industry, with tables covering manufacturers’ and market revenue for multiple RAN segments including 5G NR Sub-7 GHz, 5G NR mmWave, LTE, Macro BTS, small cells, Massive MIMO, and Cloud RAN. The report also tracks the RAN market by region and includes a four-quarter outlook. To purchase this report, please contact us by email at [email protected]

References:

Worldwide RAN Market Remained Stable in 1Q 2026, According to Dell’Oro Group

Dell’Oro: RAN Market Stabilized in 2025 with 1% CAG forecast over next 5 years; Opinion on AI RAN, 5G Advanced, 6G RAN/Core risks

Dell’Oro: Analysis of the Nokia-NVIDIA-partnership on AI RAN

ABI Research: mobile network spending to fall 29% from 2026-to-2031

Dell’Oro: RAN market stable, Mobile Core Network market +14% Y/Y with 72 5G SA core networks deployed

Market research firms Omdia and Dell’Oro: impact of 6G and AI investments on telcos

Mulit-vendor Open RAN stalls as Echostar/Dish shuts down it’s 5G network leaving Mavenir in the lurch