5G Core Network Market

Key data points: Market size in 2027 = $4.2 billion and 2035 = $28.3 billion growth forecast = 21.4% annually for the next 8 years. This market report covers trends, opportunities, and forecasts in the global 5g core network market to 2035 by component (solutions and services), deployment model (cloud and on-premises), application (smart energy, industrial manufacturing, smart medical, media entertainment, smart transportation, and others), end use (telecom operators and enterprises), and region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World) 5G Core Network Market The future of the global 5g core network market looks promising with opportunities in the telecom operator and enterprise markets. The global 5g core network market is expected to reach an estimated $28.3 billion by 2035 from $4.2 billion in 2027 with a CAGR of 21.4% from 2027 to 2035. The major drivers for this market are the rising adoption of IoT & connected devices and the growing demand for high-speed data services. • Lucintel forecasts that, within the application category, smart energy is expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period due to advances in 5G technology in conjunction with the developing smart grid. • Within this end-use category, the telecom operator is expected to witness a higher growth over the forecast period due to telecom operators are quickly developing 5G core infrastructure. • In terms of regions, APAC is expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period due to excessive 5G deployment and rapid expansion of telecom investment infrastructure. A more than 150-page report is developed to help in your business decisions. Emerging Trends in 5G Core Network Market The 2025 to 2027 timeframe is expected to see movement in the 5g core network market. Standalone deployments will mature enough for operators to begin the process of monetization and cloud native infrastructure. Operators will focus on automation and the development of network APIs while lowering the cost of operating the network. Lucintel’s market perspective is supported by industry perspectives from GSMA, Ericsson, Nokia and operator filings. In terms of investment, the architecture of software is far more important than the coverage of radio. • Cloud Native Modernization: In January 2025, Ericsson reported that 5G standalone adoption was occurring across more than 60 commercial networks, and operators began separating network functions into containerized software. This will affect the market since cloud native cores have considerably shorter time to market and less hardware vendor dependency. • Network Slicing and Monetization: GSMA Intelligence predicts that by 2030, there will be 5.5 billion 5G connections. The demand for sliced networks to support factories, ports and mission-critical services will grow. In the next 3 to 5 years, the performance of the network and charging for services will decide whether enterprises will fund premium 5G core services. • AI-driven Operations: In 2025, most of the leading vendors in the market, including Nokia and Huawei, began to implement AI in their core networks. This trend is expected to continue and will have a large impact on purchasing as operators begin to implement lower cost and more efficient operations. • Open and Disaggregated Cores: In 2025, several telecoms began deploying multi-vendor cloud infrastructures and open APIs. This aligns with the work of the O-RAN Alliance in 2025 and will drive purchases. • Private 5G Specialization: Private 5G deployments focused on industrial campuses and logistics sites instead of broad public offerings by 2025. In the next five years, private enterprise 5G networks with local control over data, and connectivity and OT/IT integration will become mainstream. The market is shifting toward software economics. The greatest market opportunity will be technology with automation and open deployment, which operators need to justify enterprise level investments. Operators should not expect that upgraded consumer offerings will provide enough spending to sustain private networks. However, private networks, slicing, and API-based services provide better long term opportunities, even if fragmented standards and integrations will make private network deployments patchy through 2027. Recent Developments in the 5G Core Network Market As operators deploy more cloud-native technologies and begin to reap the benefits of private networks, the 5G core market will likely expand at an unprecedented pace from 2025 to 2027. Lucintel expects competition to revolve around software economics and not just geographic coverage. • Standalone Networks: In February 2025, Ericsson reported over 60 commercial 5G standalone deployments. It will take roughly 3 to 5 years for the commercial deployments to increase the demand for service based architectures, network slicing, and cloud native core functions. • Consolidation in Telecom Technologies: Nokia closed its $6.65 billion purchase of Infinera in February 2025. This purchase fits within Nokia’s overall vertical integration of end-to-end transport and core networking and will likely drive operators to buy full service networking infrastructure. • Hyperscaler Partnerships: In January 2025, Vodafone’s partnership with Microsoft expanded to cover cloud and generative AI services and built upon their 10 year partnership. Other hyperscaler partnerships will push 5G core networks to hyperscale infrastructure and drive the need for a distributed cloud. • Network API Monetization: In June 2025, Ericsson further expanded upon its network API venture with Vonage, a month after Ericsson’s $6.2 billion purchase of Vonage. The offering of quality-on-demand and other such network capabilities can help operators offer services that help generate new revenue streams and encourage the deployment of advanced 5G core. • Aligning Private-network Deployments: In March 2025, Nokia established a partnership with Kyndryl supporting more than 1,000 private wireless clients globally. Industrial deployments will provide an opportunity to capture a market that extends beyond mobile subscribers, particularly where cases exist for the use of dedicated core infrastructure for provision of deterministic performance and local data processing. The market is shifting from architectural validations to selective monetization's. Integration costs remain high for operators, and enterprise demand remains unpredictable, resulting in pressure to optimize the use of installed 4G assets. Vendors who provide core software along with automation, cloud operations, and API monetization stand to gain market share. During the next five years, spending is anticipated to favor standalone deployments targeted for industrial use cases, where benefits from deployments can be easily measured and justify the cost of investment. Strategic Growth Opportunities in the 5G Core Network Market Promoting a range of services through 5G Core Networks is in the greater interest of market players. The demands of enterprises for programmable connectivity, the effort of operators to modernize networks through migration from legacy EPC, and the pressure on network capabilities due to demand for AI workloads are some of the drivers of this trend. GSMA projects that by 2025, there will be approximately 2.3 billion 5G connections. Meanwhile, Lucintel forecasts that for the next 5 years, vertical monetization, automation, and cloud native architecture will bring the greatest business opportunities. • Standalone 5G Enterprise Networks: Network slicing and local breakout can be sold to factories, ports, and utilities as well as healthcare providers. In June 2025, GSMA reported that over 60 operators had launched 5G standalone commercial services. There will be a demand for this service since enterprises are looking for networks that offer dedicated service and predictable latency. • Modernization of 5G Cloud-native Core: Monetization from subscription, managed services, and capacity is ensured with cloud-native deployments of 5G core. In February 2025, Ericsson reported that over 70 networks had deployed 5G standalone core networks. In the next 5 years, operators will abandon modular deployments and adopt more agile offerings with faster time to market and lower total cost of ownership. • Edge Computing Integration: With edge platforms, service providers can offer user-plane functions for machine vision and industrial control with low latency. In May 2025, Nokia announced projects to provide edge services that theoretical provide latencies of less than 10 milliseconds. The demand will increase since rather than sending workloads to far off hyperscale regions for cloud services, customers will bring the services closer to devices. • API-based Network Monetization: Creating new revenue streams becomes possible through API exposure of authentication, location, quality-on-demand and fraud controls. The GSMA Open Gateway program recorded availability across 75+ mobile networks in March 2025. Developers will be able to purchase network capabilities without having to deal with complex wholesale agreements, prompting more networks to join the program. • Energy-efficient Core Software: With the increasing costs of electricity, operators will be able to offer lower consumption architectures and optimization services. In January 2025, Vodafone reported a 33% reduction from its 2020 network energy consumption baseline. Efficient 5G core software will have budget preference since it will help increase margins and support a greater increase in traffic. These changes are indicative of a market that is shifting away from the focus of supply of connectivity to the demand for programmable infrastructure. Vendors that combine reliability and vertical focus of the telecom industry with the cloud will be able to monetize this shift. Operators that position APIs, edge, and standalone slicing first will be better positioned to develop stronger relationships with enterprises. The next cycle will favor practical integration, measurable operating savings and products closely tied to business outcomes over coverage. 5G Core Network Market Drivers and Challenges The 5g core network market depends on factors related to technology, the economy, and laws. Evolution in technology has influenced an increased investment in cloud technologies, network slicing, automation, and lowering the company's costs and improving company revenue. Lucintel believes that the market rapidly grows with the evolving standards, sustainability, and cybersecurity, and the need to modernize existing infrastructure. Factors driving the 5g core network market include: • Growing Enterprise Demand: Manufacturers, healthcare providers, logistics companies, and government agencies are requiring secure, low latency connectivity for automation, remote control, and connectivity of devices. It is expected that by June 2025, the global 5G connections reached 2 billion, citing industry data, indicating that demand is active and growing. In the next three to five years, enterprise demand will dominate the market as private networks, industrial internet of things, and services with critical control become possible only with flexible 5G core networks. • Cloud-native Networks: Operators are replacing rigid, appliance-based cores with fully-scalable and rapid service-based core networks. In January 2026, it is predicted that service automation and a large extent of new 5G core services will be provided by cloud-native network functions. This driver will influence the market in the future by rapid service on-market launch, increased integration of multiple providers, and support for edge computing, network slicing, and advancements of 5G. • Network Slicing and Automation: Advanced orchestration enables operators to build custom virtual networks with distinct performance, security, and quality-of-service policies for the distinct needs of each customer. Throughout 2025, it is anticipated that the first few commercial offerings will have dedicated slices for transport, utilities, and enterprise campus use cases, as well as services designed to meet latency requirements of less than 10 ms. In the next three to five years, the use of artificial intelligence for assurance and policy control and automation, coupled with 5G core, will make network slicing a more economically viable option. • Regulatory and Infrastructure Support: Governments are encouraging digital connectivity and domestic technology capabilities, as well as modern, resilient communications infrastructure. Prior to 2026, billions of dollars in broadband, cloud, and next gen wireless infrastructure investment will stimulate operator investment confidence. Regulatory support will have a positive influence in the market, as it will create more clarity in standards, set more security obligations, and fund operations. While compliance obligations may favor larger vendors, it will have a neutral to positive impact on the market. • Manufacturing Efficiency and Cost Optimization: Virtualization and automation of shared infrastructure allow for on-demand scalability, reduced dependency, and improved energy efficiency. In July 2025, operators committing to large-scale cloud migrations are expected to reduce the time for manual provisioning by over 50 percent. Cost optimization for the 5G core will drive private network deployment for businesses and regional operators, as total cost of ownership for core modernization will become more attractive. Market Challenges Include The Following: • High Costs of Deployment and Integration: Investments are necessary for cloud, security, automation, and orchestration infrastructure, transforming the business, and skilled personnel. Operators reported challenges with capital expenditures and financing in February 2025, as slow returns constrained available budgets for modernization. This problem will affect the market in the next 3 to 5 years, as smaller operators may choose to deploy 5G infrastructure in a phased manner, or choose to share infrastructure, limiting the initial need for advanced 5G standalone cores. • Increased Cybersecurity Risks and Complexity from Operational Expansion: A highly distributed, virtualized, software-based core increases the possible attack surface through an expanded API, cloud, edge, and VNF (virtualized network functions) surface area. Security assessments in October 2025 are expected to show thousands of monitored API endpoints for large network environments. This will most likely increase the cost of deployment and result in an increase in the operational risk for most network operators. • Fragmentation of Standards and Interoperability: Integrating equipment from various vendors along with legacy 4G systems and emerging open networking technologies can create challenges in testing and accountability and system performance. In May 2026, operators across the globe are most likely to conduct trials in interoperability across at least 3 different technology domains, including the radio access, transport, and core networks. This will most likely create problems for operators when systems are deployed in an uncoordinated basis, leading to extended system rollouts and challenges in assuring seamless services across the systems. Generating growth for the 5G core network will be driven by enterprise connectivity, cloud-native transformation, automation, regulation, and cost optimization. There will be challenges on first implementation with deployment costs coupled with cybersecurity and interoperability concerns for smaller operators. Implementations that are secure, interoperable, automated and have a low carbon footprint will have the most potential. The next 3-5 years will see the 5G Core market grow rapidly and unevenly due to variable investment across the market and the maturity of company standards. Those meeting clear, measurable goals in the operational and business spheres will have a competitive edge for the foreseeable future. List of 5G Core Network Market Companies Companies in the market compete on the basis of product quality offered. Major players in this market focus on expanding their manufacturing facilities, R&D investments, infrastructural development, and leverage integration opportunities across the value chain. Through these strategies 5g core network market companies cater increasing demand, ensure competitive effectiveness, develop innovative products & technologies, reduce production costs, and expand their customer base. Some of the 5g core network market companies profiled in this report include- • Samsung Electronics • Reliance Industries • Dell Technologies • Huawei Technologies • Intel Corporation 5G Core Network Market by Segment The study includes a forecast for the global 5g core network market by component, deployment model, application, end use, and region. 5G Core Network Market by Component [Value ($B) from 2019 to 2035]: • Solutions • Services 5G Core Network Market by Deployment Model [Value ($B) from 2019 to 2035]: • Cloud • On-Premises 5G Core Network Market by Application [Value ($B) from 2019 to 2035]: • Smart Energy • Industrial Manufacturing • Smart Medical • Media Entertainment • Smart Transportation • Others 5G Core Network Market by End Use [Value ($B) from 2019 to 2035]: • Telecom Operators • Enterprises 5G Core Network Market by Region [Value ($B) from 2019 to 2035]: • North America • Europe • Asia Pacific • The Rest of the World Country Wise Outlook for the 5G Core Network Market The market for the 5G core network is moving towards cloud-native and standalone architectures. Operators are focusing on automation, slicing, and open interfaces. Procurement for 2025–2027 is anticipated to include national 5G programs and partnerships with vendors. According to Lucintel, high levels of competition are expected as telecom groups begin modernizing their core infrastructure. • United States: The U.S. is modernizing its cloud-based core and RAN with the help of Ericsson. In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded 5G contracts for experimentation at five locations for 2025. The next three to five years will likely see the validity of open and software-defined core constructions for both commercial and government networks. • China: China Mobile reported the evolution of 5G-A and the core network with more than 2.3 million 5G base stations. Huawei and China Telecom are also pursuing cloud-native 5G. Domestic deployment at scale by the Chinese vendors will lead to ecosystem upgrades from traditional EPC systems to standalone cores. • Germany: Germany’s Federal Network Agency is working on licensing campus network licenses. Standalone 5G and programmable networks are being progressed by Deutsche Telekom and Ericsson. Private core networks will lead to an industrial deployment of private networks and architectures with off-site deployments for dedicated cores. • India: Reliance Jio passed the 200,000 mark for 5G sites by March of 2025 with its hybrid standalone 5G technology. This will help India develop core networks on a domestic scale as well as domestically develop the software. • Japan: In 2025, many Japanese operators established 5G standalone and network slicing services. Among these operators, NTT DOCOMO claimed to have 30 million 5G subscribers. With ongoing investments by operators, demand for policy control and automation of network services with distributed core network functions will increase along both enterprise and consumer networks. Features of the Global 5G Core Network Market Market Size Estimates: 5g core network market size estimation in terms of value ($B). Trend and Forecast Analysis: Market trends (2019 to 2026) and forecast (2027 to 2035) by various segments and regions. Segmentation Analysis: 5g core network market size by various segments, such as by component, deployment model, application, end use, and region in terms of value ($B). Regional Analysis: 5g core network market breakdown by North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. Growth Opportunities: Analysis of growth opportunities in different components, deployment models, applications, end uses, and regions for the 5g core network market. Strategic Analysis: This includes M&A, new product development, and competitive landscape of the 5g core network market. Analysis of competitive intensity of the industry based on Porter’s Five Forces model. If you are looking to expand your business in this or adjacent markets, then contact us. We have done hundreds of strategic consulting projects in market entry, opportunity screening, due diligence, supply chain analysis, M & A, and more. This report answers following 11 key questions: Q.1. What are some of the most promising, high-growth opportunities for the 5g core network market by component (solutions and services), deployment model (cloud and on-premises), application (smart energy, industrial manufacturing, smart medical, media entertainment, smart transportation, and others), end use (telecom operators and enterprises), and region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World)? Q.2. Which segments will grow at a faster pace and why? Q.3. Which region will grow at a faster pace and why? Q.4. What are the key factors affecting market dynamics? What are the key challenges and business risks in this market? Q.5. What are the business risks and competitive threats in this market? Q.6. What are the emerging trends in this market and the reasons behind them? Q.7. What are some of the changing demands of customers in the market? Q.8. What are the new developments in the market? Which companies are leading these developments? Q.9. Who are the major players in this market? What strategic initiatives are key players pursuing for business growth? Q.10. What are some of the competing products in this market and how big of a threat do they pose for loss of market share by material or product substitution? Q.11. What M&A activity has occurred in the last 8 years and what has its impact been on the industry?