Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends and Forecast (2026 - 2031)

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.^{[1]AT&T, “Second-Quarter 2025 Earnings,” AT&T, about.att.com.} 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.

Cloud-Native Core and Edge Modernization

Cloud-native core and edge programs are creating architectural milestones that research buyers can compare across regions and operator types. O2 Telefónica moved production-scale 5G Core functions to AWS Outposts in its own data center during March 2026, using Nokia technology.^{[2]Amazon Web Services, “NTT DOCOMO Launches Commercial 5G Core Network on AWS,” Amazon Web Services, press.aboutamazon.com.} NTT DOCOMO also launched a commercial 5G Core on AWS in a hybrid configuration during March 2026. Cloud location, operational control, automation, and supplier roles are therefore important primary research topics. United Kingdom security requirements have added data sovereignty and security expectations to telecommunications supplier assessments. Research should track actual deployment choices, including where data is processed and whether a design is commercial or still under validation.

AI-Enabled Closed-Loop Network Operations

AI-enabled operations are expanding the range of people, suppliers, and decisions that modernization research must cover. Telefónica ended 2025 with 12 verified Level 4 use cases under its Autonomous Network Journey program.^{[3]Telefónica, “Telefónica Accelerates Its Transformation to Autonomous Networks and Reaches 12 Level 4 Use Cases,” Telefónica, telefonica.com.} China Mobile, GSMA, and Huawei launched OpenAN at MWC Shanghai in June 2026 to support collaboration between operations and management agents. NEC demonstrated in February 2026 that agentic AI could manage a 5G Core User Plane Function from design through operational monitoring. These developments bring hyperscalers and software specialists into evaluation frameworks once centered on equipment suppliers. Surveys must distinguish trials and controlled use cases from operating processes used at scale.^{[4]NEC Corporation, “NEC Demonstrates Agentic AI-Driven Autonomous Network Operations in Collaboration with AWS,” NEC Corporation, nec.com.}

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.

Interoperability and Integration Complexity

Interoperability issues slow modernization when legacy virtualized functions and cloud-native functions must operate together for long periods. This coexistence means research programs often need to track 2 technology paths within the same operator. Open RAN progress also differs across markets, and maturity levels affect how respondents describe their status. GSA documented a growing set of commercial 5G deployments, but a commercial launch alone does not establish that every network function is integrated. A respondent may use the term "cloud-native core" to describe a limited migration rather than a full replacement of network functions. The Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market depends on detailed definitions, validation by senior respondents, and consistent follow-up questions.

*Our forecasts treat driver/restraint impacts as directional, not additive. The impact forecasts reflect baseline growth, mix effects, and variable interactions.

Segment Analysis

By Component: Panel Management Leads While Benchmarking Analytics Expand Service Value

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.

By Network Domain: RAN Anchors Demand While OSS/BSS Orchestration Advances

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.

By Deployment Model: Cloud Leads While Hybrid Addresses Sovereignty Requirements

Cloud accounted for 74.13% of the market share in the Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market Share in 2025. Cloud-based platforms support centralized panel management, automated weighting, and the distribution of dashboards to teams across multiple locations. This model can reduce infrastructure barriers for providers running multinational research programs. It also allows client users to access results through connected tools during procurement cycles. The Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market uses cloud delivery to provide timely information, while data controls remain essential for sensitive respondent and operator information.

Hybrid deployment is forecast to grow at a 12.81% CAGR through 2031, the fastest rate among deployment models. Regulated clients may retain operator-identifying information or strategic position data inside sovereign environments while using cloud tools for other functions. Deutsche Telekom and Palo Alto Networks launched a data-sovereign cyber defense service in 2025 that stored and processed customer and system data exclusively in Europe. This approach shows why some research clients need control over the location and handling of sensitive information. On-premises deployments remain relevant for telecom groups that maintain controlled internal research operations, even though cloud flexibility is expected to remain influential.

By Organization Type: Tier-1 Operators Anchor Volume While Private Network Owners Expand

Tier-1 Mobile Network Operators held 45.11% of the Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market share in 2025. Their modernization programs involve many decision-makers, from senior architecture leaders to teams selecting operational tools. This breadth creates substantial demand for research on RAN, core networks, OSS/BSS, automation, and supplier strategies. Tier-2 and Tier-3 operators also face 5G Standalone and cloud-native choices, but they may have fewer internal resources to evaluate them. The Telecom Network Modernization Decision-Maker Survey Market is useful to these operators because it provides comparable evidence relevant to their scale and operating conditions.

Private Network Owners are forecast to grow at a 12.92% CAGR through 2031, the fastest rate among organization types. GSA identified 2,003 organizations deploying private mobile networks in 88 countries by the end of the first quarter of 2026. This population includes decision-makers whose needs differ from traditional mobile network operators because they evaluate industrial, enterprise, and site-specific network outcomes. Manufacturing and education were among the sectors with documented private-network references in GSA reporting. Research providers must adapt their panels and questions to this broader group rather than applying an MNO-only framework.

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.