The Dell’Oro report also highlighted that the multi-access edge computing (MEC), part of the 5G packet core, rose 32% year-and-year
In sum – what to know:
5G mobile core grows 31% – Segment strength drove overall MCN market gains of 19% y-o-y in Q2 2025, with subscriber growth and new launches fueling momentum.
Standalone 5G adoption accelerates – 71 MNOs have launched 5G SA, including five so far this year, with added features like RedCap IoT and network slicing supporting use cases.
Voice and MEC also expand – Voice Core rose 18% as MNOs upgrade to cloud-native IMS, while MEC jumped 32% y-o-y and is forecast to grow 44% for 2025.
The global mobile core network (MCN) market experienced a strong expansion in the second quarter of 2025, rising 19% year-over-year, according to new research from Dell’Oro Group.
The report noted that the growth was led by a 31% surge in the 5G mobile core network (MCN) segment, while the voice core segment surged 18%.
“With the strong growth we have now seen in the first two quarters of the year, we are doubling the growth rate for 2025 to 10% year-on-year,” said Dave Bolan, research director at Dell’Oro Group. “Factors contributing to the growth of 5G MCNs are increasing 5G Standalone (5G SA) subscribers and more 5G SA launches by mobile network operators. We have identified 71 MNOs that have launched 5G SA service for consumers, including five launches to date in 2025.”
“As 5G SA networks continue to mature, we see more 5G SA elements coming to market, such as new radio (NR), reduced capability (RedCap), and network slicing. NR RedCap reduces the cost and complexity of 5G SA IoT devices, which will add to the uptick of devices connecting to 5G mobile core network, such as smartwatches and AR glasses,” Bolan said.
He added: “Dynamic network slicing provides on-demand performance as needed by users, such as at a given venue or wireless broadcasters. Static network slicing is being used for fixed wireless access and mission-critical services that require full-time performance enhancements.”
He also noted that operators are also modernizing their voice networks: “MNOs are beginning to upgrade their voice cores to cloud-native IMS cores, fueling the growth of the voice core market. Meanwhile, if the upgrade is for Voice over NR (VoNR), it also adds additional fuel to the 5G mobile core growth.”
The Dell’Oro report also highlighted that the multi-access edge computing (MEC), part of the 5G packet core, rose 32% year-and-year and is forecast to climb 44% for full-year 2025.
The global 5G mobile core network market is projected to grow at a 6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2024 to 2029, according to a previous report by Dell’Oro Group. The acceleration is largely attributed to the rising adoption of 5G SA architecture.
Meanwhile, the Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) segment is expected to expand at a significantly faster 17% CAGR, driven by network slicing, RedCap devices, and the increasing momentum of network APIs, particularly those linked to the GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative.
In May, Dell’Oro reported that the global mobile core network (MCN) market experienced a 32% year-over-year growth in the first quarter of 2025. China posted a 122% year-over-year increase, while the rest of the world saw 12% growth. As such, Dell’Oro is now projecting 5% year-over-year growth in the total MCN market in 2025, and 15% growth in the 5G MCN segment — driven by a 12%increase in China and 3% in the rest of the world.
Besides the China picture, Dell’Oro Group said Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA region) will see the highest growth in 2025.
