Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026-2031)

The telecom network modernization decision-Maker survey market size was valued at USD 312.45 million in 2025 and is estimated to grow from USD 351.24 million in 2026 to reach USD 633.91 million by 2031, at a CAGR of 12.53% during the forecast period (2026-2031). This report is Segmented by Component (Survey Design and Questionnaire Programming, and More), Network Domain (Radio Access Network, Core Network, and More), Deployment Model (On-Premises, Cloud, and Hybrid), Organization Type (Tier-1 Mobile Network Operators, and More), and Geography. The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

Global Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market Trends and Insights

5G Standalone and 5G-Advanced Investment Decisions

Commercial 5G Standalone activity supports the Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market, as each program introduces new technology and supplier questions. GSA recorded 392 commercial 5G launches worldwide by March 2026, including 95 5G Standalone launches and 35 operators investing in 5G-Advanced. Buyers need to understand how peers sequence core upgrades, automation, spectrum use, and vendor evaluations. AT&T announced a USD 250 billion, 5-year U.S. infrastructure investment plan in March 2026 covering fiber, 5G, and AI-enabled operations. This spending creates a continuing flow of procurement decisions that survey providers can track. Current panels must distinguish a formal launch from subsequent core migration, operational use, and contracted supplier work.

Multi-Vendor Network Complexity and Operating Cost Reduction

Multi-vendor networks create research demand around sourcing, interfaces, operating costs, and accountability across network domains. Operators must weigh supplier diversity against the effort required to integrate equipment, software, and management systems. AT&T reported more than USD 1 billion in annualized operating cost savings from AI deployment, reinforcing the need for evidence on automation choices. Research must connect RAN, core, OSS/BSS, and operational priorities rather than consider each decision separately. Repeated interviews with senior respondents can show whether a strategy remains stable after implementation issues emerge. The Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market is most useful when it distinguishes stated plans from operating models supported by performance evidence.

Legacy OSS/BSS Technical Debt and Migration Risk

Legacy OSS/BSS environments slow modernization decisions because operator teams must manage fragmented systems and costly migrations. The constraint can make it harder for respondents to identify a firm's priorities across multiple technology programs. Ericsson and IDC reported that OSS/BSS-related capital expenditure could reach USD 211 billion between 2025 and 2028, and 66% of respondents cited a need for additional data-system investment. This pressure can produce responses that reflect unresolved budget conflicts rather than committed technology choices. It also complicates survey interpretation when interest in a capability depends on a delayed data or integration project. Research must separate planned architectural changes from decisions deferred due to migration risk.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

• Cloud-Native Core and Edge Modernization
• AI-Enabled Closed-Loop Network Operations
• Interoperability and Integration Complexity

Segment Analysis

Data Collection and Panel Management held 31.12% of the Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market share in 2025, reflecting its role in obtaining responses from relevant senior decision-makers. A reliable panel requires suitable respondent seniority, broad organization coverage, and careful validation of individual responses. These factors remain important because a Tier-1 operator technology leader can provide materially different evidence from that of an anonymous online participant. Survey Design and questionnaire programming remain closely connected to panel management because questions must reflect evolving choices across suppliers and network domains. The Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market depends on this work to ensure that findings describe actual decision processes rather than broad technology interest.

Dashboard, Benchmarking, and Advisory Outputs are forecast to grow at a 12.61% CAGR through 2031, the fastest rate among components. Clients increasingly require peer comparisons for use in procurement, investment planning, and supplier discussions. Current dashboards can provide repeated views of a defined group of operators, rather than isolated results from periodic reports. Data Processing, Weighting, and Tabulation also become more important when research includes differing operator sizes, geographies, and maturity levels. The Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market can serve this need by applying transparent methods and presenting comparable outputs without overstating the limited evidence from respondents.

Radio Access Network held 38.14% of the Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market share in 2025. RAN programs generate a wide range of decisions involving antenna configurations, Open Fronthaul compliance, radio platforms, and AI-RAN roadmaps. These choices remain central to many 5G investment plans because they affect coverage, capacity, and supplier relationships. Ericsson stated that it targeted 160 Open-RAN-proven radio models by the end of 2026, reflecting the continuing importance of compatible RAN options. The Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market can help clients compare which RAN requirements have entered formal procurement criteria and which remain exploratory.

OSS/BSS and Service Orchestration are forecast to grow at a 12.73% CAGR through 2031, making it the fastest-growing network domain. Operators need service management and orchestration capabilities as 5G Standalone and AI-related use cases increase the pace of operational decisions. The move to 5G Standalone also shapes Core Network programs, while transport decisions respond to growing data-center connectivity needs. KDDI committed JPY 1.2 trillion (USD 7.44 billion) over 3 fiscal years to its Power-to-Connect 2028 plan, covering low-latency transport, AI data center infrastructure, and satellite ground stations. Edge, private wireless, and non-terrestrial network activity adds enterprise users to the set of modernization decision-makers that research programs must address.

Complete Report Scope:

• By Component
  • Survey Design and Questionnaire Programming
  • Data Collection and Panel Management
  • Data Processing, Weighting, and Tabulation
  • Dashboard, Benchmarking, and Advisory Outputs
• By Network Domain
  • Radio Access Network
  • Core Network
  • Transport and Optical Network
  • OSS/BSS and Service Orchestration
  • Edge, Private Wireless, and Non-Terrestrial Networks
• By Deployment Model
  • On-Premises
  • Cloud
  • Hybrid
• By Organization Type
  • Tier-1 Mobile Network Operators
  • Tier-2 and Tier-3 Mobile Network Operators
  • Fixed and Converged Operators
  • Neutral Host Providers
  • Private Network Owners
• By Geography
  • North America
    • United States
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Chile
    • Rest of South America
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • United Kingdom
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Rest of Europe
  • Asia-Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • India
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  • Middle East
    • United Arab Emirates
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Qatar
    • Rest of Middle East
  • Africa
    • South Africa
    • Egypt
    • Nigeria
    • Rest of Africa

Geography Analysis

North America held 34.12% of the Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market share in 2025. The region has a high concentration of well-funded Tier-1 operators with active modernization plans. AT&T announced a USD 250 billion, 5-year investment plan in March 2026 for fiber, 5G, and AI-enabled operations. These programs create decisions across architecture, suppliers, software, and operating models. North American survey demand is therefore supported by the depth of operator spending and the need to compare progress against peers.

Asia-Pacific is forecast to grow at a 13.14% CAGR through 2031, the fastest regional rate. Japan, South Korea, India, and China each contribute different investment patterns and decision contexts. NTT DOCOMO targeted JPY 857 billion (USD 5.37 billion) in capital expenditure for FY2026 and began commercial deployment of Ericsson's next-generation RAN Compute platform in July 2026. KDDI committed JPY 1.2 trillion (USD 7.44 billion) across 3 fiscal years for low-latency transport, AI data centers, and satellite ground stations. The Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market needs country-specific panels in this region because technology deployment, language, and vendor conditions vary substantially.

Europe held a significant share in 2025, with research demand shaped by supplier diversification, consolidation, and data sovereignty. MasOrange signed a 6-year agreement with Ericsson in February 2026 to consolidate 4 IMS platforms and 2 legacy 5G cores into a unified 5G Standalone architecture. The United Kingdom retained a 35% Open RAN traffic target for 2030 and updated its telecommunications security code in 2026. South America, the Middle East, and Africa are smaller but expanding areas for procurement activity. Ericsson and e& UAE agreed in 2025 to modernize the operator's 5G Core with cloud-native technologies.

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

• Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Nokia Corporation
• ZTE Corporation
• Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
• Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Ciena Corporation
• NEC Corporation
• Fujitsu Limited
• Juniper Networks, Inc.
• ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.
• Ribbon Communications Inc.
• Aviat Networks, Inc.
• Airspan Networks Inc.
• Mavenir Systems, Inc.
• Parallel Wireless, Inc.
• Baicells Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Sercomm Corporation
• Cambium Networks Corporation
• DZS Inc.
• HFCL Limited
• Radisys Corporation
• Ekinops S.A.
• Ribbon Communications Inc.
• Sterlite Technologies Limited

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support