Catenaa, Friday, May 22, 2026-Global Radio Access Network (RAN) spending remained largely flat in the first quarter of 2026 as weaker investment in North America offset stronger 5G expansion across parts of Asia, the Middle East and Africa, according to new industry reports from Omdia and Dell’Oro Group.
Omdia estimated the worldwide RAN hardware and software market, excluding services, at about $8 billion during the quarter.
The research firm said growth remained in the low single digits year over year, with nearly every region expanding except North America.
The slowdown reflects a cooling phase in the US 5G rollout cycle after operators spent aggressively during earlier deployment years.
Omdia said the United States is now in a mature phase of 5G deployment, reducing the pace of new network investment.
Analyst Remy Pascal said operators also built inventory during early 2025 because of tariff concerns, creating difficult comparisons for current spending levels.
Supply chain strain across semiconductor markets also increased equipment prices and delivery times, forcing telecom operators and vendors into tougher negotiations.
Dell’Oro Group reported similar trends, saying North American weakness and slower activity in China continued to pressure global growth.
The firm said worldwide RAN revenue has now stayed within a narrow range for five straight quarters.
Growth instead came from late-stage 5G adopters across Asia and parts of the Middle East and Africa.
Countries including India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia recorded stronger infrastructure investment during the quarter.
Markets such as Algeria, Morocco and Turkey also increased spending as operators expanded network coverage and upgraded capacity.
Analysts said the gains were driven by fresh spectrum allocations, modernization programs and vendor replacement projects.
Vendor Battle Continues
Five vendors controlled about 94% of the global RAN market during the quarter.
Ericsson, ZTE and Fujitsu’s 1Finity business recorded sequential gains, though analysts warned quarterly shifts can be misleading because of differing seasonal spending cycles.
Japan remained an unusually strong market during the first quarter because operators there typically invest earlier in the calendar year.
That seasonal pattern often benefits vendors with stronger exposure to Japan, including Ericsson and Fujitsu.
Omdia expects the global RAN market outside China to remain mostly flat through 2026 unless currency swings, supply chain disruptions or deployment timing shift investment patterns.
Dell’Oro forecasts worldwide RAN revenue growth averaging just 1% annually during the next five years.
The firm said declining LTE revenue will likely be balanced by ongoing 5G deployment and the early stages of future 6G investment.
Analysts also warned operators are preparing for slower long-term mobile broadband growth after the peak years of global 5G spending.
