IDC Forecasts 5G, 4G/LTE Enterprise Wireless WAN Market to Sustain Growth Over the Forecast Period, Reaching $5.5B in 2027

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Worldwide revenues for the 5G and 4G/LTE Enterprise Wireless WAN market (formerly referred to as the 4G/LTE and 5G Router & Gateway Forecast) will reach $5.5 billion in 2027, according to a new forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC). This represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.8% over the 2023–2027 forecast period. Worldwide market revenue in 2022 was just under $1.9 billion.

Enterprise Wireless WAN, the new naming convention of this market, has matured greatly over the last five years, with LTE evolving in its own right and 5G solutions bringing an enhanced set of reliability to wireless WAN offerings. Indeed, IDC has observed Enterprise Wireless WAN evolve beyond simply a fail-over for other access technologies to become a primary connectivity solution, in many cases.

"5G Enterprise Wireless WAN solutions scaled rapidly in 2022 across both the branch and mobile markets. Internet of Things (IoT) use lagged a bit in comparison but saw double-digit growth as well. Overall, Enterprise Wireless WAN has moved from not just a supporting technology, but to a critical capability in its own right," said Patrick Filkins, research manager, IoT and Telecom Network Infrastructure at IDC. "Beyond simply connectivity, 4G/LTE and 5G solutions are playing an increasingly important role in SD-WAN and enterprise edge initiatives as well as being deployed en masse to connect public safety vehicles, public and private transportation, and across industrial environments where mobile solutions are required."

The report, 5G and 4G/LTE Enterprise Wireless WAN Forecast, 2023-2027 (IDC #US50622523), presents IDC's annual forecast for the 5G and 4G/LTE Enterprise Wireless WAN Market. Revenue is forecast for both routers and gateways. The report also provides a market overview, including drivers and challenges for technology suppliers.