Top 5G infrastructure companies to consider in 2025

Ericsson: The end-to-end 5G leader

Ericsson was named a leader in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for 5G RAN infrastructure for communications service providers (CSPs), ranking highest in execution capability. The Swedish vendor says it manages networks serving over one billion subscribers globally and that it expects to account for 40% of mobile traffic by the end of 2026.

Strengths

• Market reach. Ericsson is one of four vendors -- along with Huawei, Nokia and ZTE -- that collectively control 89% of global 5G infrastructure shipments, according to Mordor Intelligence, with a particularly strong presence in North America and Europe.
• Commercial reach. The company claims to power commercial 5G networks across five continents and in more than 60 countries.
• Innovation excellence. Deep investment in R&D drives continuous evolution of network technologies and standards development, with Ericsson now holding a leading position in 5G patents worldwide, according to its website.

Key offerings

Ericsson offers a comprehensive 5G RAN portfolio with energy-efficient multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) antennas and multiband radios that are optimized for standalone 5G networks and cloud-native deployments. It supports advanced features like network slicing and dynamic spectrum sharing with a cloud-based management platform that offers unified visibility and control across wireless enterprise deployments.

Enterprise focus

Ericsson serves enterprise customers with its private 5G portfolio, which has dedicated offerings for both office and manufacturing environments. The company works with enterprises in manufacturing, logistics and energy to deploy wireless networks that support low-latency and high-mobility applications.

Nokia: An innovator and private network pioneer

For five consecutive years, Nokia has been ranked as a leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for 5G core network infrastructure for CSPs. It was also named a leader in the 2025 Market Landscape report by Omdia, a division of Informa TechTarget. The Finnish technology provider offers comprehensive end-to-end network packages spanning radio access, transport, core networks and management systems, with 33% of the global commercial 5G footprint being Nokia technologies, according to Teral Research.

Strengths

• Core network leadership. Nokia had 125 5G Standalone core operator customers with 54 live deployments as of Q2 2025 -- the most in the industry, according to Omdia.
• Private network reach. At the start of 2025, Nokia had deployed nearly 900 private 4G and 5G networks globally and is named an industry leader in Omdia's 2025 Private 5G Market Radar.
• Vertical specialization. Nokia has deep industry expertise across manufacturing, mining, ports, airports, utilities, public safety and railways, with products tailored for each industry.

Key offerings

Nokia sells modular, cloud-native 5G technologies in its AirScale portfolio, which supports both indoor and outdoor deployments, including the Radio Dot System for 2G through 5G mission-critical communications. Its core networks are fully cloud-accessible, covering cloud packet core, subscriber data management, voice core, analytics, charging, policy and network exposure. Its Digital Automation Cloud is an integrated platform that extends functionality beyond typical connectivity to provide edge computing and AI capabilities for industrial applications, with pre-validated blueprints to help companies get started.

Enterprise focus

Nokia serves enterprise customers by improving its private wireless offerings and augmenting them with industry-specific packages built through years of research, testing and validation. Nokia continues to innovate with its edge computing and AI platform for enterprise customers supported by a rich ecosystem that includes partners such as Kyndryl, Telefonica Tech and Verizon Business. The company offers simplified 5G networking packages tailored to various enterprise sizes and requirements.

Samsung: Mobile infrastructure innovator

Samsung is emerging as a major force in 5G network infrastructure, using its strengths in semiconductor technology and consumer electronics to deliver comprehensive end-to-end 5G products. The company claims to be among the first to develop complete 5G fixed wireless access packages, including 5G indoor/outdoor routers, fixed and virtual RANs and AI-powered 3D radio-frequency (RF) planning tools and services.

Strengths

• Vertical integration. Samsung is in the unique position of making every type of hardware that is integral to 5G networks, including RF and 5G modem chipsets, radios and core networks.
• mmWave leadership. Samsung has been particularly strong in 5G millimeter-wave (mmWave) technology, which works in a frequency spectrum ideal for bandwidth-intensive, high-speed applications, and it has collaborated with leading industry partners to develop additional 5G products.
• Private network innovation. Earlier this year, Samsung announced it and Hyundai had pioneered the telecom industry's first reduced capability (RedCap) technology trials, demonstrating next-generation, low-power 5G connectivity for industrial applications in Hyundai's largest plant.

Key offerings

Samsung's Compact Core is a cloud-native "network in a box" that supports 4G and 5G simultaneously, with migration capabilities between the two. Its products run on standard commercial servers, which it says eliminates the need to replace hardware. Samsung's vRAN and RedCap technology are software-centric private 5G packages designed to enable cost-effective connectivity with reduced power consumption and longer battery life. Samsung also offers three private 5G configurations for any size deployment, including multisite configurations and entire network hardware packages.

Enterprise focus

Samsung provides private networking for enterprises in manufacturing, construction, logistics, oil and gas, offices and education. The company offers products for 4G, 5G, and CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) -- the standard for the slice of the wireless spectrum where private 5G operates -- designed for performance, ease of installation and operational efficiency. Samsung also works with cellular network operators and enterprises to implement Industry 4.0 applications.

Mavenir: Open RAN software pioneer

Mavenir provides cloud-native network infrastructure and helps lead global initiatives in Open RAN, a set of standards designed to enable integration between RAN components from different vendors. It claims to have as its customers network operators that service more than half of the world's subscribers. The American company offers cloud- and AI-enabled software that allows operators to build intelligent, automated and programmable networks. Mavenir's software-first approach lets operators mix and match equipment from different vendors.

Strengths

• Open RAN leadership. As a founding member of the Open RAN movement, Mavenir has championed the adoption, evolution and use of the technology. Mavenir acts as an end-to-end systems integrator for Open RAN and has offerings that compete with traditional proprietary vendors through open interfaces and multi-vendor interoperability.
• Software focus. Its purely software-based approach is designed to eliminate hardware dependencies and accelerate service innovation for customers across different industries and environments.
• Enterprise flexibility. Mavenir has a partnership with Nvidia to deliver GPU- and SmartNIC-powered products designed to lower power consumption, optimize cost and form factor, and enable flexible deployments specifically designed for enterprise and private networks.

Key offerings

Mavenir offers a range of 5G products and services that are 100% cloud- and microservices-based, as well as containerized. Its full-stack core product supports multi-generational networks (2G through 5G), while the fully containerized IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) offering supports 4G and 5G wireless in virtualized and containerized environments. All its products offer a Control and User Plane Separation (CUPS) architecture, which enables customers to independently scale public and private deployments while maintaining control and security.

Enterprise focus

Mavenir collaborates with partners in the industrial and enterprise segments, including T-Mobile, Imagine Networks and Intel, to deploy end-to-end 5G networks for Industry 4.0 use cases, smart cities and other applications. The company offers enterprise and neutral-host provider (i.e., third-party network infrastructure) options, emphasizing flexibility, low power consumption and ease of deployment, particularly for indoor and dense urban environments.

Cisco: Enterprise-integrated private 5G

Cisco brings enterprise networking expertise to 5G infrastructure and delivers private 5G networks as a managed service. The company's experience in Wi-Fi, industrial Ethernet, IoT, software-defined WAN and cloud-based operations enables Cisco to integrate mobile connectivity into existing enterprise networks. In addition, the company established global private 5G innovation centers with Intel so that enterprise customers can test and validate their setups before deployment.

Strengths

• Enterprise integration. Cisco provides enterprise-integrated private 5G that works with existing Cisco infrastructure, including Catalyst switches, routers, security products and AI-based ThousandEyes network monitoring. Cisco essentially erases the traditional divide between cellular and enterprise networks for its existing customers.
• As-a-service delivery model. Cisco delivers private 5G as a managed service, which minimizes upfront Capex costs and eliminates the management responsibilities of owning a private network. This approach lets enterprises focus on their core business rather than their telecommunications needs.
• Comprehensive security. Cisco's 5G products integrate with its Identity Services Engine to provide Cisco's zero-trust security approach and enterprise-grade cybersecurity portfolio. It also offers customers unified policy and identity management across their locations.

Key offerings

Cisco's private 5G service is a managed service that integrates 4G and 5G mobile core, RAN and a cloud-based control center into existing enterprise infrastructure. The control center provides end-to-end management and visibility of private 5G deployments, secure multitenant capabilities, subscriber security information management and authentication, APIs for automation, and continuous software upgrades. Cisco claims the service provides carrier-grade reliability, 24/7 global support, service-level agreement assurance and an intuitive dashboard for provisioning, management and troubleshooting.

A unique service of Cisco is its global network of testing facilities in San Jose, Düsseldorf and Tokyo, where enterprises can evaluate, simulate, test and validate end-to-end private 5G use cases, including industrial automation, robotics, edge computing, and IoT before full deployment -- all to reduce adoption risk and complexity.

Enterprise focus

Cisco serves enterprises in manufacturing, logistics, mining, airports, healthcare and education. Its managed service model eliminates the need for enterprises to build and operate cellular network capabilities. Integration with existing Cisco infrastructure reduces deployment complexity and operational overhead for organizations that already use Cisco hardware.

Julia Borgini is a freelance technical copywriter, content marketer, content strategist and geek. She writes about B2B tech, SaaS, DevOps, the cloud and other tech topics.