Omdia’s latest Core Market Tracker reveals that Communications Service Providers (CSPs) increased their 5G packet core network investments by 83% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2025. The increase reflects strong momentum behind 5G Standalone (SA) deployments, as well as continued focus on digital transformation and new revenue streams.
North America and Europe, the Middle East & Africa (EMEA) were the leading growth regions, as CSPs prioritized scalability, cost efficiency and AI-enabled network differentiation. Globally, 88 operators have launched 5G SA networks, creating monetization opportunities through network slicing, ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and enterprise-focused services.
“The surge in 5G core investment underscores CSPs’ strategic focus on enabling new revenue streams and digital transformation,” said Roberto Kompany, Principal Analyst Mobile Infrastructure at Omdia. “This momentum is reflected in AT&T’s nationwide 5G SA and RedCap deployment and Verizon’s launch of a new enterprise-grade fixed wireless access (FWA) slice.”
The top five vendors by core network market share in the quarter were Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia, ZTE and Cisco.
Omdia expects 5G core investments to maintain strong double-digit growth in 2026, driven by the need to deliver nationwide services and higher network capacity to meet evolving customer demand.
Omdia’s Core Market Tracker provides detailed insights into vendor performance, regional trends, and forecasts for the core network market through 2031 offering a comprehensive view of the global 5G core landscape.
