Core Wired Networks Market Report 2026

The core wired networks market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $13.42 billion in 2025 to $14.85 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.7%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to legacy circuit-switched network dependency, limited network virtualization adoption, monolithic core network architectures, hardware-centric routing and switching systems, basic traffic management and manual configuration practices.

The core wired networks market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $22.46 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to expansion of software-defined and cloud-native core networks, rising demand for ultra-low latency and high bandwidth services, increased adoption of network automation and ai-driven orchestration, growth of hyperscale data centers and edge connectivity, increasing focus on cybersecurity and zero-trust architecture integration. Major trends in the forecast period include software defined networking (sdn) driven core network automation and orchestration, network function virtualization (nfv) enabled disaggregated core infrastructure, high-capacity optical transport evolution with 400g/800g backbone deployment, edge computing integration with core wired network architectures, zero-trust security and advanced encryption in core network design.

The rising demand for high-speed data transmission is expected to propel the growth of the core wired networks market going forward. High-speed data transmission refers to the rapid transfer of large volumes of data across communication networks with minimal latency and high reliability. The demand for high-speed data transmission is increasing due to the expansion of digital services, which is encouraging organizations to upgrade their network infrastructure. Core wired networks support high-speed data transmission by providing robust, low-latency, and high-capacity backbone connectivity essential for modern communication systems. For instance, in November 2025, according to Ofcom, a UK-based government-approved regulatory and competition authority, adoption of ultra-high-speed packages (≥ 900 Mbps) grew from 14% in 2023 to 17% in 2024 and then to 21% by 2025. Therefore, the rising demand for high-speed data transmission is driving the growth of the core wired networks market.

Key companies operating in the core wired networks market are focusing on technological advancements in fiber optic networking, such as coherent optical transmission systems, to improve bandwidth capacity, reduce latency, and enhance long-distance data transmission efficiency. Coherent optical transmission systems refer to advanced fiber optic communication technologies that utilize digital signal processing (DSP) and phase modulation techniques to transmit high-capacity data over long distances with improved spectral efficiency and signal integrity. For example, in February 2023, Ciena Corporation, a US-based networking systems company, introduced the WaveLogic 6 Extreme coherent optical transceiver, a next-generation optical solution designed for high-capacity core network applications, featuring programmable modulation schemes to optimize spectral efficiency, integrated advanced DSP for enhanced signal performance over long-haul networks, and support for ultra-high data rates up to 1.6 Tbps per wavelength to enable scalable and efficient network expansion.

In July 2025, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, a US-based provider of edge-to-cloud and networking solutions, announced the acquisition of Juniper Networks for $14 billion. Through this acquisition, HPE aims to strengthen its AI-driven networking and core wired infrastructure portfolio by integrating Juniper’s cloud-native and AI-native networking solutions, enhancing routing, switching, and data center interconnect capabilities. Juniper Networks is a US-based provider of core networking infrastructure, particularly core routers and high-capacity switches.

Major companies operating in the core wired networks market are Dell Technologies Inc., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Cisco Systems Inc., Intel Corporation, Broadcom Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, Fujitsu Limited, Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Ericsson AB, NEC Corporation, Nokia Corporation, ZTE Corporation, Corning Incorporated, Nexans S.A., Arista Networks Inc., Ciena Corporation, Extreme Networks Inc., Ribbon Communications Inc., Sterlite Technologies Limited, HFCL Limited, Prysmian S.p.A.

North America was the largest region in the core wired networks market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the core wired networks market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the core wired networks market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The core wired networks market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as network design and architecture planning, wired network installation and cabling, fiber optic deployment, ethernet switching and routing services, backbone network integration, network modernization and upgrades, managed network operations, maintenance and technical support. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The core wired networks market also includes sales of fiber optic cables, copper cables, network interface devices, servers, switching systems, and communication infrastructure equipment. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including telecom operators, enterprises, system integrators, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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