BELMONT, CA — May 28, 2026 — Exact Ventures recently published its 5G Packet Core (5G SA, 5G NSA, and 4G EPC) Market Share and Total Market Analysis for 1Q 2026.

The 5G Packet Core market posted a typical seasonal pullback in 1Q26 following a strong close to 2025, yet remained solidly ahead of year-ago levels — a reflection of the market’s underlying momentum even as near-term volatility persists. As the chart below illustrates, 5G SA Core has emerged as the dominant and growing layer of the packet core market, with 5G NSA holding steady and 4G EPC gradually fading — a generational transition playing out in real time across operator networks worldwide.

Despite 5G SA’s long-term trajectory, adoption has been slower than initially expected. Economic pressures on operator capex, a relative scarcity of compelling 5G SA use cases beyond FWA and IoT, and the significant operational complexity of deploying cloud-native infrastructure have all contributed to a more measured pace. Notably, the 5G NSA core continues to carry the vast majority of smartphone traffic, and 4G EPC revenues surprised to the upside in 1Q26 — a reminder that legacy infrastructure replacement cycles are rarely linear. The recent launch of Apple Watch with 5G RedCap support has emerged as an unexpected catalyst for 5G SA network launches, illustrating how device ecosystems can accelerate operator investment decisions.

The long-term direction, however, is not in doubt. Operators have no viable alternative to eventually deploying 5G SA on cloud-native infrastructure — particularly as 5G SA will form the architectural foundation for 6G core networks and the growing role of AI and Agentic AI in core network operations.

Which vendors are best positioned to capture 5G SA core growth as operator deployments scale, and how is the competitive landscape shifting between 5G SA, NSA, and EPC? Our 1Q26 report breaks down vendor-by-vendor share across 5G SA, 5G NSA, and 4G EPC, by region, along with a full 5-year forecast through 2030.

For more information or to request the full report, contact:
Greg Collins
Exact Ventures
greg@exactventures.com