Radio Access Network (RAN) Market is expected to exceed USD 15 billion by 2025. The growing smartphone penetration across the world is resulting in the adoption of radio access solutions to improve network coverage.

Some of the major findings of the RAN market report include:
- The demand for commercialization of next-generation 5G network, increasing the demand for advanced RAN solutions

- The proliferation in smart city development projects in Asia Pacific and the MEA is expected to drive market growth

- Growing investments in the telecom sector across Europe are enabling companies to developed advanced radio access solutions to support the changing network demands

- The adoption of Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization technologies across enterprises is enabling them to deploy advanced network solutions to extend and improve network coverage

- Major players operating in the market are Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., ZTE Corporation, Nokia Networks, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and NEC Corporation

- Companies are focusing on delivering 5G radio access solutions to accelerate the commercialization of 5G network and gain a competitive advantage

The increase in the number of cellular subscribers across the world is resulting in growing data traffic over traditional cellular networks. The traditional telecom infrastructure is facing challenges in handling huge data traffic, enabling telecom operators to shift to advanced RAN solutions. The rising adoption of IoT and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trends is another factor fueling the demand for RAN solutions to provide better network coverage in smart homes and offices.

The lack of standardization in spectrum allocation may hamper market growth as network solution providers need to develop their solutions in compliance with spectrum allocation of a specific country. Large investments involved in spectrum auctions for the allocation of specific spectrum bands for companies to operate in different countries are restricting market growth.

Macro cells are preferred by enterprises to provide cellular coverage over large areas. Macro cells are used to provide cellular coverage for distant rural places where the development of telecom infrastructure is complex and requires huge investments. Major telecom companies are partnering with other design and engineering companies to develop LTE macro cell solutions. For instance, in January 2019, CommAgility, a leading wireless telecom group, partnered with Aricent, a global design and engineering company, to develop LTE eNodeB solutions for network equipment providers. This partnership helped the company to support the changing requirements of network equipment providers for accelerating the development of the 5G network.

Rising investments in the telecom sector in developing countries including China and South Korea are supporting the adoption of radio access solutions in the APAC region. For instance, in June 2019, China Mobile announced a USD 4.4 billion investment plan to build 50,000 5G base stations in the country before the end of 2019 to support its ambitious 5G rollout plan in 50 cities. Government authorities are investing in the development of IT infrastructure to accelerate digitalization in the region.

The companies are focusing on trials of 5G network to accelerate the deployment of 5G network to match the changing network demands. The companies operating in the market are partnering with major telecom companies to develop advanced radio access solutions. Many companies are supplying radio access equipment to major telecom operators to develop their 5G telecom infrastructure. For instance, in July 2019, Nokia Networks partnered with NTT DOCOMO to supply radio units for NTT Docomo?s 5G infrastructure. This partnership helped the company to test its RAN equipment in 5G network.