Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia Expand Market Share Dominance in 1Q 2026
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – May 19, 2026 – According to a recently published report from Dell’Oro Group, the trusted source for market information about the telecommunications, security, networks, and data center industries, 5G Mobile Core Network (MCN) revenue grew at double-digit rates outside China, whereas in China revenues dropped more severely than any quarter since 5G was introduced to the market.
“In North America and EMEA, the 5G core network revenue growth that started in 2025 continued into the first quarter of 2026, with revenue from those regions expanding 20 percent,” stated Siân Morgan, Research Director at Dell’Oro Group. “However, telecom spending in China is expected to decline significantly in 2026, and the operators in that country have already invested considerably in 5G SA.
“Worldwide, 5G Standalone (5G SA) reached an inflection point in 2025, and Huawei, Ericsson, and Nokia have succeeded in taking more share from smaller players,” added Morgan. “This expansion occurred despite an escalation in server prices which is causing mobile network operators to scrutinize the cost of network projects.”
Additional highlights from the 1Q 2026 Mobile Core Network and Multi-Access Edge Computing Report include:
- The Multi-access and Edge Computing (MEC) market continued to grow in 1Q 2026, with the China region remaining dominant for MEC implementations.
- 4G Packet Core revenue grew faster than the total market, demonstrating that the need to keep older technology current continues to drive the market.
- In 1Q 2026, Nokia gained the most share in the MCN market outside China, Huawei gained the most share in the MCN market outside North America, and Ericsson gained the most IMS share worldwide.
- In nominal terms, revenue from 5G MCN has still not reached the levels achieved by 4G MCN, with the pressure to automate operations and grow ARPU expected to drive 5G SA adoption and the introduction of 5G Advanced services.
The Dell’Oro Group Mobile Core Network & Multi-Access Edge Computing Quarterly Report offers complete, in-depth coverage of the market with tables covering manufacturers’ revenue, shipments, and average selling prices for Traditional Packet Core, Evolved Packet Core, 5G Packet Core, Policy, Subscriber Data Management, Signaling, Circuit Switched Core, and IMS Core by geographic regions. To purchase this report, please contact us at dgsales@delloro.com.
Dell’Oro Group is a market research firm that specializes in strategic competitive analysis in the telecommunications, security, enterprise networks, and data center infrastructure markets. Our firm provides in-depth quantitative data and qualitative analysis to facilitate critical, fact-based business decisions. For more information, contact Dell’Oro Group at +1.650.622.9400 or visit https://www.delloro.com.
# # #
