According to a recent forecast report by Dell’Oro Group, demand for mobile backhaul transport equipment is projected to be $24.5 billion over the next five years. This figure represents the cumulative amount of transport systems that will be deployed from 2024 through 2028.

“We lowered the near-term forecast by approximately 6 percent since 5G rollouts have dramatically slowed at some operators while others are delaying deployments,” said Jimmy Yu, vice president of Dell’Oro Group. “However, we believe that all operators will eventually roll out 5G to its fullest potential. Therefore, we believe the 5G build cycle will be more gradual and calculated. Thus, we have transplanted the reduction in mobile backhaul demand forecasted in 2024 and 2025 to the outer years of the forecast time period, creating a more moderate rise in demand over the next five years,” added Yu.

Additional highlights from the Microwave Transmission & Mobile Backhaul 5-Year Forecast July 2024 Report:

• Demand for mobile backhaul equipment, consisting of both wireless and fiber systems, to be used in 5G networks is forecast to grow at a five-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 percent.
• Use of Wireless Systems for backhaul is projected to grow at a higher rate than fiber systems in the next five years since more mobile radio deployments are expected to occur in countries that mostly use point-to-point microwave transmission systems for mobile backhaul.

 The Dell’Oro Group Microwave Transmission & Mobile Backhaul 5-Year Forecast Report offers complete, in-depth coverage with tables covering manufacturers’ revenue, radio transceivers, and average selling prices. The report tracks fronthaul, mobile backhaul by cell type (macro and small cell) and technology (wireless and fiber/copper). The microwave transmission tables forecast point-to-point TDM, Packet and Hybrid Microwave as well as full indoor and full outdoor unit configurations.