5G and Cloud-Native networking Market Overview

Based on findings from  a recently commissioned Cloud-Native Networking for a 5G Era report, Communications Service Providers (CSPs) are seeking to transform their network infrastructure, automate operational processes, and transform internal mindsets to capture new growth. The transformation is being driven, in part, by a growth of user data demand, a massive increase in connected devices, an overly complex network, and new Business-to-Business (B2B) revenue growth increasingly tied to 5G adoption. A question of significance for CSPs is how to embed a degree of agility in networks and scale up the emerging enterprise use cases in a way that is sufficiently impactful and not disruptive. This is particularly important for new 5G-centric use cases (e.g., network slicing and 5G private networks) that will almost certainly consist of network elements and services that traverse different technology domains.

The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 has kept consumers at home in recent weeks and turned the retail industry upside-down. Public health awareness has motivated shoppers (primarily of food and essentials) to keep their outings brief and contact-free. Once our daily lives and routines re-enter a state of normalcy, the effects of the pandemic could precipitate a greater demand for retail stores with no workers, but to date, the unmanned store has not caught on.

The 5G Devices Market Landscape

The mobile industry’s move to 5G has begun in earnest with expectations that more than 150 million 5G smartphones will be sold this year, irrespective of the impact caused by the coronavirus outbreak. This growth can only be reached if it is underpinned by the latest requisite technology, namely chipsets and modems from the major suppliers, which will power these flagship devices.

While 5G has hit the ground running with telco companies and consumers, and smart transportation prepares for its arrival, its link to edge computing will be one to watch over the next decade. 5G in manufacturing will grow from its current annual revenue of under $1 million to a near $11 billion technology by 2030.

Oftentimes with the introduction of a new technology, efforts in hardware and software development focus on experimentation and pushing the envelope, rather than the actual experience for new users. Augmented Reality (AR) is no different, where efforts over the past few years have mostly centered around piloting and experimenting with head-mounted and mobile-based AR.

As cloud suppliers continue to grow their footprint in the IoT value chain, their investments in data and analytics services are accelerating. Based on the review of cloud vendor offerings, recent acquisitions, and competitive outlook, ABI Research forecasts that cloud suppliers will grow their share of IoT data and analytics management revenues from US$6 billion in 2019 to US$56 billion in 2026.

Traditional government-issued documents are currently the worldwide standard and function as the primary form of ID. They are required for standard identification uses and as a mandatory step toward other fundamental societal interactions, including registering for banking services, voting, accessing healthcare facilities, and, of course, traveling and border control. The concept of citizen identity in contemporary societies, however, has rapidly evolved in recent decades after making the mandatory transition toward the development of digital citizen identification.

Cooperative mobility is set to be propelled by the mass adoption of Long-Term Evolution (LTE Uu) vehicle connections and investment in roadside infrastructure connectivity. It refers to a scenario where all traffic agents (vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, etc.) communicate with each other and with the infrastructure, making transportation more efficient and safer.

The Augmented Reality (AR) cloud will play a catalytic role in the way that users engage and search for information, simultaneously transforming the way businesses operate and communicate with customers and employees in both physical and digital forms. It has the potential to directly impact most of the AR value chain, which ABI Research forecasts to reach nearly US$102 billion by 2024.

Fixed wireless broadband services based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology have been widely deployed globally, with its primary focus on areas with a poor fixed network infrastructure. Today, 5G technology opens more opportunities for the fixed wireless broadband segment. 5G supports gigabit speed broadband with ultra-low latency, allowing service providers to provide a fiber-like broadband experience without requiring the fiber-optic cables to every single household.