Sharp IMS Revenue Contraction Brings Down Market
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – August 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 in EMEA grew over 30 percent in 2Q 2026, contributing more revenue to the worldwide 5G MCN market than any other region.
“So far in 2026, eighty percent of the operators to have launched 5G Standalone (SA) networks for consumer services have been in Europe,” stated Siân Morgan, Sr. Director at Dell’Oro Group. “This helped EMEA 5G MCN revenue to reach a high-water mark in 2Q 2026, and we expect this region will keep expanding in the coming quarters.
“The growth in 5G MCN occurred despite an escalation in server prices causing mobile network operators to scrutinize the cost of network projects. On the other hand, IMS revenue contracted for the third quarter in a row, with most regions seeing a drop in Voice core revenue,” continued Morgan.
Additional highlights from the 2Q 2026 Mobile Core Network and Multi-Access Edge Computing Report include:
- MCN market dynamics were stable, with Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia growing MCN revenue in alignment with total market expansion.
- 4G Wireless Packet Core revenue outpaced the market for the third quarter in a row, driven by mobile network operators that have not yet moved to 5G SA.
- 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 counterbalanced by the rising cost of infrastructure.
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.
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