Over-The-Air (OTA) Testing Market Size and Share
Market Overview
| Study Period | 2019 - 2030 |
|---|---|
| Market Size (2025) | USD 2.31 Billion |
| Market Size (2030) | USD 3.06 Billion |
| Growth Rate (2025 - 2030) | 5.78% CAGR |
| Fastest Growing Market | Middle East and Africa |
| Largest Market | Asia Pacific |
| Market Concentration | Medium |
Major Players
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order Image © Mordor Intelligence. Reuse requires attribution under CC BY 4.0. |
|
Over-The-Air (OTA) Testing Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence
The OTA testing market stood at USD 2.31 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach USD 3.06 billion by 2030, translating into a 5.78% CAGR over the period. This expansion reflects wider adoption of 5G standalone networks, increasing integration of cellular V2X in vehicles, and escalating certification needs for cost-sensitive IoT modules.[1]5G Measurements,” Anritsu America, anritsu.com Heightened demand for mmWave compliance in consumer electronics, rising private-5G deployments inside factories, and stricter global conformance schemes from bodies such as CTIA and the Global Certification Forum also underpin growth.[2]3GPP Specification Series: 38 series,” 3GPP, 3gpp.org Hardware continues to anchor capital spending, but service outsourcing is accelerating as enterprises look to curb up-front investments in anechoic chambers.[3]5G NR testing | Wireless Communication,” Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co KG, rohde-schwarz.com Regionally, Asia Pacific benefits from the world’s densest 5G roll-outs, while the Middle East and Africa register the fastest trajectory thanks to aggressive digital-economy agendas.
Key Report Takeaways
- By offering, hardware retained 60.9 % of the OTA testing market share in 2024, whereas services are on track for an 8.3 % CAGR through 2030.
- By technology, LTE/LTE-A led with 38.5 % revenue share in 2024; 5G NR is advancing at a 9.1 % CAGR to 2030.
- By geography, Asia Pacific commanded 34.6 % of revenue in 2024, while the Middle East and Africa is poised for a 6.8 % CAGR through 2030.
- By application, telecom and consumer electronics held 45.2 % of the 2024 total; automotive and transportation is forecast to expand at 7.6 % CAGR to 2030.
- By test type, antenna performance accounted for 46.7 % share of the OTA testing market size in 2024, and conformance/certification is the fastest mover at 6.2 % CAGR.
Global Over-The-Air (OTA) Testing Market Trends and Insights
Drivers Impact Analysis
| Driver | (~) % Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proliferation of 5G SA deployments | +1.80% | Global; early Asia Pacific and North America | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Rising mmWave and massive-MIMO compliance in consumer devices | +1.50% | North America, EU, spill-over to APAC | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
| Automotive OEM migration to software-defined, V2X platforms | +1.20% | North America, expanding to Europe and Asia | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Industrial private-5G roll-outs for smart factories | +0.90% | Europe core; Asia Pacific hubs | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Rapid CTIA and GCF cycles for sub-USD 10 IoT modules | +0.40% | Global | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
| Emergence of 6G research and early terahertz (THz) test initiatives | +0.50% | Europe, North America, and advanced APAC markets (Japan, South Korea) | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Source: Mordor Intelligence | |||
Proliferation of 5G Non-Standalone and Stand-Alone Deployments Requiring New Conformance Protocols
Operators are shifting from NSA to standalone cores, pushing laboratories to validate beamforming, network slicing, and ultra-low-latency use cases in FR1 and FR2 bands. Release 17 adds new massive-MIMO metrics, obliging test systems to handle dual-polarized arrays and tighter error-vector-magnitude windows. Europe’s focus on industrial SA networks is illustrated by Deutsche Telekom deploying 26 GHz services inside manufacturing plants. Demand for adaptable chambers that support fast device turn-round times is therefore rising among operator labs and third-party houses. As SA penetration climbs, the OTA testing market gains recurring revenue from device re-certification each time specifications evolve.
Automotive OEM Shift to Software-Defined and V2X Connectivity Platforms in North America
C-V2X certification, developed by the Global Certification Forum in collaboration with the 5G Automotive Association, formalizes dual communication modes that combine 5.9 GHz sidelink and network uplink capabilities. Keysight and Rohde & Schwarz have partnered with tier-one suppliers to emulate dynamic traffic scenarios, validating emergency brake-light alerts and over-the-air software updates concurrently. The change from hardware-locked ECUs to cloud-upgradable platforms widens test matrices to include cybersecurity and functional-safety vectors. As these vehicles move toward production, the OTA testing market records deeper service revenues from in-plant and roadside evaluations.
Surging OTA Compliance Demand for mmWave and Massive-MIMO Antennas in Consumer Devices
The expansion of 24–29 GHz coverage requires phone and tablet makers to ensure total radiated power and isotropic sensitivity across complex antenna arrays. Pegatron invested USD 164 million in new lines for Wi-Fi 6E and 5G validation, underscoring capital expenditure pressures in device supply chains. Near-field measurement has become essential because mmWave wavelengths significantly shorten far-field test distances. Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR) platforms, such as the Anritsu MA8172A, can be redeployed in under five days, thereby reducing production downtime. Consequently, service providers offering portable CATR-based audits are experiencing higher booking rates.
Industrial Private-5G Roll-outs in Europe for Smart Factories Requiring Robust RF Validation
European steelmaker SMS group operates a private 5G network that supports synchronized digital twins and real-time monitoring across harsh RF environments. Test labs must replicate metallic reflections, moving machinery, and multipath fading when evaluating industrial user equipment. University-led consortia such as the 5Growth project call for latency benchmarks below 5 ms and 99.999% availability, tightening performance targets for device makers. Such stringent metrics bolster demand for reverberation chambers and channel emulators capable of stress-testing network-slice quality. Long-lived factory licenses also promise recurring validation every time software or spectrum allocations change.
Restraints Impact Analysis
| Restraint | (~) % Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital-intensive anechoic and reverberation chambers | -1.1% | Global; most acute in emerging markets | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Scarcity of mmWave near-field-to-far-field skillsets | -0.8% | Global; acute in APAC and North America | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Lack of harmonized LPWAN standards | -0.5% | Global; regional divergence | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| RF absorber supply-chain volatility | -0.3% | Global; affects chamber makers | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
| Source: Mordor Intelligence | |||
Capital-Intensive Anechoic and Reverberation Chambers Discouraging Adoption by Tier-2 Labs
Anechoic facilities require fire-retardant pyramidal absorbers, precision cranes and multi-axis positioners that can cost several million dollars before instrumentation is added. Such budgets deter smaller labs, particularly in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Even when financing is secured, supply bottlenecks for ferrite tiles and carbon-loaded foam extend lead times beyond 20 weeks. Consequently, enterprises in those regions outsource to a limited pool of global facilities, lengthening project cycles and curbing the OTA testing market’s service penetration. Vendors are responding with modular, lease-ready chambers, yet price points remain high relative to start-up cash flows.
Technical Skill Scarcity for mmWave Near-Field-to-Far-Field Transform Algorithms
Eightfold AI found that one-third of network-engineering vacancies lack the mathematics required for FR2 antenna transformations. India’s Telecom Sector Skill Council estimates a 2.41 million talent shortfall across 5G and 6G by 2030, magnifying constraints on test-lab staffing. Without specialists able to calibrate probes, de-embed chamber errors and automate plane-wave synthesis, throughput falls and queue times rise. Industry players have begun funding university programs that merge computational electromagnetics with data science, but results will take several years to reach commercial scale.
Segment Analysis
By Offering: Hardware Dominance Drives Infrastructure Investment
Hardware contributed 60.9 % of revenue in 2024 as laboratories invested in far-field chambers, CATR reflectors and wide-bandwidth signal generators required for 5G and Wi-Fi 7. Many facilities expanded capacity to accommodate larger device-under-test form factors such as automotive bumpers and smart-factory robots.
Services nonetheless record the steepest curve at an 8.3 % CAGR, because enterprises prefer contracting accredited providers rather than owning full infrastructures. Those managed contracts frequently include calibration, standards consulting and report generation packaged under multi-year frameworks. Software and analytics, still nascent, benefit from AI-driven automation that cuts test cycles by as much as 40 %, unlocking further productivity.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
By Technology: 5G NR Acceleration Reshapes Testing Landscape
LTE/LTE-A maintained 38.5 % of 2024 spending as operators kept validating legacy devices; however, 5G NR’s 9.1 % CAGR underscores an industry pivot. mmWave certification demands dynamic beam-steering checks, driving upgrades in probe arrays and channel emulators.
Meanwhile, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 introduce tri-band throughput thresholds, prompting joint testing of cellular and WLAN coexistence. LPWAN formats such as NB-IoT increasingly incorporate non-terrestrial networks, compelling device makers to run satellite delay emulation during compliance sessions.
By Test Type: Antenna Performance Testing Maintains Leadership
Antenna performance activities, spanning TRP and TIS, represented 46.7 % of 2024 turnover, owing to the proliferation of massive-MIMO devices with up to 128 elements. Conformance and certification show the quickest growth at 6.2 % CAGR because Release 17 adds RedCap, NTN and reduced-capability UE profiles.
Compatibility tests now include open-RAN interoperability and Wi-Fi coexistence, while production/end-of-line routines gain from conveyor-integrated near-field scanners that keep takt times below 90 seconds per handset.
By Application: Automotive Transformation Drives Growth
Telecom and consumer electronics accounted for 45.2 % of revenue last year through steady smartphone refresh cycles and rising tablet shipments. Automotive and transportation generate the fastest momentum at 7.6 % CAGR as OEMs embed C-V2X, UWB keyless-entry and over-the-air firmware pipelines.
Industrial IoT, supported by private 5G, requires ruggedized devices validated for harsh multipath, fueling chamber retrofits that integrate robotics arms and temperature control. Healthcare wearables and smart-home products add multi-protocol stress to certification labs, boosting cross-technology bundling.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
By Test Environment: Near-Field Systems Gain Momentum
Far-field anechoic chambers still dominate with 40.3 % share, offering unparalleled free-space accuracy across sub-6 GHz nodes. Yet near-field systems register a 7.3 % CAGR as compact solutions appeal to electronics makers constrained by urban footprints.
CATR reflectors enable high-frequency plane waves in rooms a third the size of traditional chambers, accelerating Wi-Fi 7 and FR2 workflows. Reverberation chambers, prized for realistic multipath, are increasingly paired with over-the-air firmware-update simulators to audit cyber-resilience.
Geography Analysis
Asia Pacific retained 34.6 % of global revenue in 2024 on the back of China’s 80 % 5G SA coverage, Japan’s satellite-IoT pilots and India’s manufacturing incentives targeting USD 500 billion in economic impact from 5G by 2040. The OTA testing market in the region benefits from vertical integration between contract manufacturers and domestic test labs, shortening supply chains for smartphones and wearables. Government-backed spectrum auctions in India and Indonesia have further enlarged addressable volumes for certified devices.
Europe remains a powerhouse for industrial private-5G, even though only 2 % of cell sites operate in standalone mode. German, UK and Spanish regulators offer streamlined temporary licenses for 26 GHz industrial grids, encouraging machinery OEMs to prototype inside local labs. Joint research programs on 6G metrology sharpen documentation standards, forcing test houses to upgrade uncertainty budgets and traceability chains. Consequently, the OTA testing market records robust consultancy demand alongside hardware sales.
The Middle East and Africa is the quickest climber at a 6.8 % CAGR as operators in the Gulf expedite 5G and lay foundations for 6G before 2030. Crowdsourced performance tools increasingly guide spectrum policy, driving transparent benchmarks that require laboratory correlation. South Africa and Nigeria expand device subsidies tied to local conformance marks, enlarging throughput for regional certification centers. North America leverages federal funds for open-RAN and V2X corridors, whereas South America continues steady upgrades from 4G to 5G, particularly in Brazil’s agritech zones.
Competitive Landscape
The OTA testing industry features a moderate concentration, with the top five vendors collectively controlling just over 60 % of worldwide spending. Keysight Technologies’ USD 1.5 billion agreement to acquire Spirent consolidates high-speed Ethernet and RF channel-emulation portfolios, albeit contingent on asset divestitures demanded by competition watchdogs. Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI Solutions extend multi-year alliances to address open-RAN and non-terrestrial testing, sharing reference architectures at European OTIC labs. EMITE pairs its reverberation chambers with Rohde & Schwarz signaling testers to accelerate Wi-Fi 7 and 5G RedCap timelines.
Technology differentiation increasingly centers on software-defined measurement stacks able to add new standards via licensing rather than hardware swaps. Keysight’s roadmap incorporates AI engines that auto-diagnose failure roots, trimming debug cycles for device makers. Anritsu and Microwave Vision Group co-develop multi-probe Wi-Fi 7 solutions that address multi-link operation without chamber repositioning. White-space opportunities persist in terahertz validation for 6G and automotive cybersecurity, areas where incumbent toolkits are still maturing.
Regional players pursue specialization; for instance, China-based Sunwave tests satellite-ground switching for universal NTN devices, while Europe’s SatixFy focuses on phased-array beam steering in GEO constellations. Such niche providers often license firmware analyzers from larger vendors, illustrating an ecosystem where intellectual property circulates via cross-licensing. Start-ups developing AI-first test orchestration aim to reduce operator intervention and open subscription revenue streams.
Over-The-Air (OTA) Testing Industry Leaders
-
Intertek Group plc
-
Bureau Veritas S. A.
-
Anritsu Corporation
-
Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co KG
-
Keysight Technologies Inc.
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Recent Industry Developments
- April 2025: Anritsu Corporation and Microwave Vision Group unveiled a Wi-Fi 7 OTA system combining MVG multi-probe chambers with the MT8862A WLAN tester
- March 2025: Keysight Technologies launched two DCA-M sampling oscilloscopes capable of 240 Gbps/lane optical analysis, tailored to AI data-center transceivers
- March 2025: Rohde & Schwarz and Ceva introduced the first Bluetooth OTA UTP Test Mode solution that eliminates wired fixtures in performance audits
- February 2025: Keysight partnered with Deutsche Telekom on a Satellite NB-IoT Early Adopter Program covering NTN protocol, field and lab emulation
Global Over-The-Air (OTA) Testing Market Report Scope
Over-the-air (OTA) testing investigates and confirms the performance and dependability of wireless devices and their antennas and other components. Total Radiated Power (TRP) and Total Isotropic Sensitivity (TIS) measurements done under operational conditions certify the product's conformity with stipulated requirements.
The Over-the-Air (OTA) Testing Market is Segmented into technology (5G, LTE, and UMTS), application (telecommunication and consumer devices, industrial, aerospace and defense, and automotive and transportation), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa). The market sizes and forecasts are provided in terms of value (USD) for all the above segments.
| Hardware | Chambers (Anechoic, Reverberation, Compact Range) |
| Instrumentation (Signal Generators, Spectrum Analysers, Controllers) | |
| Software and Analytics | |
| Services | Testing and Certification Services |
| Consulting and Integration |
| 5G NR (Sub-6 GHz and mmWave) |
| LTE/LTE-A/LTE-M |
| UMTS/WCDMA |
| GSM/CDMA |
| Wi-Fi 6/7 and Wi-Fi HaLow |
| Bluetooth and UWB |
| LPWAN (NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, Sigfox) |
| Antenna Performance (TRP, TIS, EIRP, EIS) |
| Conformance and Certification |
| Compatibility/Inter-operability |
| Production/End-of-Line |
| Telecom and Consumer Electronics |
| Automotive and Transportation |
| Industrial and Manufacturing IoT |
| Aerospace and Defense |
| Healthcare Devices and Wearables |
| Smart Home and Building Automation |
| Far-Field Anechoic Chambers |
| Compact Antenna Test Range |
| Near-Field Systems |
| Reverberation Chambers |
| North America | United States | |
| Canada | ||
| Mexico | ||
| Europe | Germany | |
| United Kingdom | ||
| France | ||
| Nordics | ||
| Rest of Europe | ||
| South America | Brazil | |
| Rest of South America | ||
| Asia-Pacific | China | |
| Japan | ||
| India | ||
| South-East Asia | ||
| Rest of Asia-Pacific | ||
| Middle East and Africa | Middle East | Gulf Cooperation Council Countries |
| Turkey | ||
| Rest of Middle East | ||
| Africa | South Africa | |
| Rest of Africa | ||
| By Offering | Hardware | Chambers (Anechoic, Reverberation, Compact Range) | |
| Instrumentation (Signal Generators, Spectrum Analysers, Controllers) | |||
| Software and Analytics | |||
| Services | Testing and Certification Services | ||
| Consulting and Integration | |||
| By Technology | 5G NR (Sub-6 GHz and mmWave) | ||
| LTE/LTE-A/LTE-M | |||
| UMTS/WCDMA | |||
| GSM/CDMA | |||
| Wi-Fi 6/7 and Wi-Fi HaLow | |||
| Bluetooth and UWB | |||
| LPWAN (NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, Sigfox) | |||
| By Test Type | Antenna Performance (TRP, TIS, EIRP, EIS) | ||
| Conformance and Certification | |||
| Compatibility/Inter-operability | |||
| Production/End-of-Line | |||
| By Application | Telecom and Consumer Electronics | ||
| Automotive and Transportation | |||
| Industrial and Manufacturing IoT | |||
| Aerospace and Defense | |||
| Healthcare Devices and Wearables | |||
| Smart Home and Building Automation | |||
| By Test Environment | Far-Field Anechoic Chambers | ||
| Compact Antenna Test Range | |||
| Near-Field Systems | |||
| Reverberation Chambers | |||
| By Geography | North America | United States | |
| Canada | |||
| Mexico | |||
| Europe | Germany | ||
| United Kingdom | |||
| France | |||
| Nordics | |||
| Rest of Europe | |||
| South America | Brazil | ||
| Rest of South America | |||
| Asia-Pacific | China | ||
| Japan | |||
| India | |||
| South-East Asia | |||
| Rest of Asia-Pacific | |||
| Middle East and Africa | Middle East | Gulf Cooperation Council Countries | |
| Turkey | |||
| Rest of Middle East | |||
| Africa | South Africa | ||
| Rest of Africa | |||
Key Questions Answered in the Report
How large is the OTA testing market in 2025?
The OTA testing market is valued at USD 2.31 billion in 2025 and is projected to hit USD 3.06 billion by 2030 at a 5.78% CAGR.
Which segment leads the OTA testing market by offering?
Hardware holds 60.9 % of revenue thanks to heavy investment in chambers and instrumentation, while services are the fastest-expanding offering at 8.3 % CAGR.
What region shows the fastest growth?
The Middle East and Africa is the quickest climber, forecast to post a 6.8 % CAGR through 2030 on back of aggressive 5G and future 6G plans.
Why is conformance testing growing so rapidly?
Release 17 of 3GPP and new CTIA / GCF rules add satellite, RedCap and advanced MIMO requirements, driving a 6.2 % CAGR in conformance services.
Page last updated on:
