Worldwide Mobile Infrastructure Market Performed Better Than Expected in 2018

“The global upswing that began in the second half of 2018 was broader and deeper than previously expected, validating the message we have communicated for some time; namely, there are reasons to be optimistic about the RAN market,” said Stefan Pongratz, senior director at Dell’Oro Group. “In addition to the strong focus on LTE and LTE-Advanced, the shift toward 5G NR continued to accelerate throughout the year. And while the 5G narrative has morphed somewhat over the past couple of years as expectations gradually shift from the long-term vision to what will drive the business case today, the reality is that the technology is now ready for the first phase of the 5G NR launch supporting the eMBB and FWA use cases,” continued Pongratz.

Other highlights from the 4Q 2018 RAN report:

The year 2018 also turned out to be a pivotal one for Massive MIMO as demand increased at a significantly faster pace than expected, adding confidence the technology will play a fundamental role going forward.
5G steps into a tangible commercial cycle—NR revenues expected to accelerate rapidly in 2019.
The short-term outlook is now more favorable—projections have been adjusted upward for 2019.