Driven by increasing demand from branch, mobile, and Internet of Things (IoT) customers, International Data Corporation (IDC) expects LTE routers to experience double-digit growth in 2020.
5G wireless routers will add to this year’s forecast, supported by initial commercial deployments in select regions in the second half of 2020.
“Even with some downward pressure on enterprise network infrastructure spending from COVID-19, 2020 will be another year of growth for most LTE router and gateway vendors,” says Patrick Filkins, senior research analyst for IoT and Mobile Network Infrastructure at IDC. “The inclusion of 5G products will also contribute, but will not materially affect the total market until 2021.”
Worldwide, IDC expects the total 5G and LTE router/gateway market to grow from approximately $979,3-million in 2019 to just under $3-billion in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21,2%.
Regionally, North America will remain the largest consumer of LTE routers/gateways, but Asia/Pacific (including Japan) (APJ) will grow the fastest over the forecast period supported by continued expansion and/or densification of macro LTE networks in the region.
Both the US and certain countries in APJ, such as Australia, will be key proving grounds for 5G products as well.