BELMONT, CA — August 28, 2026 — Exact Ventures recently published its Subscriber Data Management (SDM/HSS) Market Share, Total Market and 5-Year Forecast Analysis for 2Q 2026.
The subscriber data management market grew by double digits in 2Q26, both sequentially and compared with a year ago. Growth came from 5G SDM, which rose nearly 30% year over year and now accounts for about three-quarters of total SDM revenue. Legacy Home Subscriber Server (HSS) revenue recovered from a seasonally weak first quarter but remained well below year-ago levels. Pricing per subscriber license held steady, so the market’s growth reflects real growth in license volume rather than price changes.
After a strong 2025, we expect total SDM growth to moderate in 2026 and then continue through 2030 as operators keep expanding 5G standalone networks. The Unified Data Repository (UDR) has become the largest part of the market. Its licensing grows with the number of subscribers and connected devices an operator supports. As operators bring more subscribers onto 5G and add IoT, enterprise and network slicing services, demand for subscriber data capacity rises with them. UDM and AUSF are growing alongside UDR as the 5G standalone subscriber base expands. HSS is declining steadily but won’t disappear soon, because operators still need it to support 4G and VoLTE subscribers while 5G migration continues.
SDM’s outlook differs from other parts of the core. Spending on voice infrastructure, for example, is expected to decline over the forecast period, but SDM spending is tied to subscriber and device growth and continues to expand. The report provides vendor market share for HSS and 5G SDM by region, revenue and license shipments by network function, and a five-year forecast through 2030.
For more information or to request the full report, contact:
Greg Collins
Exact Ventures
greg@exactventures.com
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