According to a recently published report from Dell’Oro Group, the trusted source for market information about the telecommunications, networks and data center industries, China outstripped the rest of the world for Mobile Core Networks (MCN) and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) market revenue growth in 2Q 2022. Worldwide market growth decelerated compared to 1Q 2022, from mid-single-digit percentage year-over-year (Y/Y) growth to low single-digit percentage Y/Y growth.
The MCN market in China grew at a double-digit percentage Y/Y growth rate in 2Q 2022 compared to the market outside China which had a negative Y/Y growth rate. The China region invested 75 percent in 5G MCN infrastructure during the quarter while outside China, only 20 percent was invested in 5G MCN infrastructure.
“The pace of 5G MCN investments in the rest of the world pales by comparison to China. China has led the way since 2020 and does not look like it is ready to slow down,” stated Dave Bolan, research director at Dell’Oro Group. “In 2Q 2022, a new 5G Standalone (5G SA) Mobile Network Operator (MNO), China Broadnet, launched its 5G SA network, the fourth MNO to do so in China. Only two other 5G SA networks have launched in 2022, KDDI in Japan and Dish Wireless in the United States. As a result, when it comes to 5G SA networks with a 5G Core, China leads the world.
“And they lead the world in 5G MEC deployments and 5G applications enabling consumers and enterprises to do more than the combined markets outside of China, even though they only account for one-fourth of the MCN market investments. While many service providers throughout the world talk about the future of 5G with some showcase applications and what it can do, it is a reality in China, at scale,” continued Bolan.
Additional highlights from the 2Q 2022 Mobile Core Network and Multi-Access Edge Computing Report:
- The top five global MNC suppliers in the quarter include Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia, ZTE and Mavenir
- The top five global 5G MCN suppliers in the quarter include Huawei, Ericsson, ZTE, Nokia and NEC.