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Huawei is the king of both radio and core
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MCN market revenue growth was worst performance since Q1 2017
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5G SA is scheduled for some rollouts in the first half of 2024
Dell’Oro Group has released a dire Q4 2023 report for Radio Access Networks (RAN) and Mobile Core Networks (MCN). But fear not, there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
“Preliminary findings indicate market conditions remained challenging in the fourth quarter, with total RAN declining by nearly $4.” [billion] for the entire year 2023,” Stefan Pongratz, Vice President and RAN Governor, said on LinkedIn.
“It’s not all bad news,” he commented. “Performance for the quarter was actually slightly better than expected, due in part to strong 5G activity in China. Additionally, two of the six regions tracked (North America and Europe) rapidly However, market development is more favorable outside these regions.”
According to him, the top RAN vendors are Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia, ZTE, and Samsung. Last time we checked, he had Cisco in his No. 6 ranking, but no American vendors were in his top five.
in the center
Although the MCN market recorded its worst performance since Q1 2017 in terms of revenue growth, some green shoots may emerge. perhaps!
Commenting on the mobile core slide, Dave Bolan, research director and all-round core caller, said, “Whether we can say we’re ‘cautiously optimistic’ about growth in 2024 depends on the willingness to upgrade mobile phones to 5G standalone models. “It depends on certain subscribers and their assumptions.” Mobile network operators will need to purchase more 5G core capacity.”
The latest smartphones from Apple, Samsung, and Google can all support 5G standalone (5G SA).
Bolan wouldn’t speculate on which carriers will move to standalone 5G next, but said, “Some carriers have already deployed dual-mode cores in preparation for 5G core launches. “
“While some companies are already offering 5G SA for businesses and may be available to limited consumers on a trial basis, MNOs may begin to commercialize it for the broader consumer market. The timing of a broader launch could mean they’re waiting for compatible 5G devices or trialing the network to see if it’s ready for prime time. there is.”
According to Boran, the top three MCN vendors are Huawei, Ericsson, and Nokia.
This will be a big topic at Mobile World Congress.
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