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How Networks Are Being Rebuilt for AI Traffic, Industrial Use and a Post-Quantum Security Era

Mobility Foresights Technology Research | Hub Analysis | September 2026

Telecom networks are being rebuilt on three fronts at once. Radio access is opening up through Open RAN and cloud-based baseband, letting operators mix vendors. Transport networks are scaling to 800G and beyond to carry AI and cloud traffic between data centers. Enterprises are deploying their own private 5G networks in factories, ports and mines, and buying network equipment directly rather than only leasing services.

Security is being rebuilt in parallel. Zero-trust architectures assume no user or device is safe by default. In 2024 the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology published the first post-quantum cryptography standards, starting a migration that will take years across every connected system.

This hub brings together 68 Mobility Foresights market studies across eight areas: RAN, small cells and 6G; optical transport and access; private 5G and enterprise wireless; cloud-native networking and AI operations; cabling and physical-layer connectivity; mission-critical communications; cybersecurity and zero trust; and antennas, RF cables and connectors.

Key Takeaways

• Open RAN adoption is uneven but strategically important. It matters most where operators or governments want vendor diversity.
• Optical transport is the fastest-growing telecom segment. AI traffic between data centers is driving 800G and beyond deployment.
• Private 5G is becoming an industrial product. It competes with and complements Wi-Fi in factories, ports and campuses.
• AI is being applied to running networks, not only carrying traffic. Autonomous and zero-touch operations respond to rising complexity and cost pressure.
• Post-quantum migration has started. Standards published in 2024 have set timelines that affect telecom, finance and government networks.

How We Segment Telecom, Networking and Security

1. RAN, Small Cells and 6G

The radio access network is the largest part of mobile capital spending. Open RAN aims to break it into interoperable pieces so operators are not locked to one supplier. Our Open RAN and multi-vendor radio access ecosystems market report covers adoption, and the cloud-native core and cloud RAN integration market study covers running baseband functions as software on standard servers.

Spectrum efficiency and future generations:

• The spectrum sharing and dynamic spectrum optimization solutions market report covers technologies that let operators share and dynamically allocate scarce spectrum.
• The 6G testbed and spectrum intelligence platforms market study covers 6G research platforms, ahead of standardization work now under way for deployment around 2030.

Densification and site infrastructure:

• The 5G distributed antenna systems (DAS) and small cell infrastructure market report covers indoor and dense urban coverage.
• The micro-distributed networks and small cell backhaul connectivity market study covers connecting those small cells.
• The indoor telecom power system market and outdoor telecom power system market reports cover the power systems at every site, an often overlooked but essential part of network capital spending.

2. Optical Transport and Access

Optical networks carry the traffic between data centers, cities and continents, and AI workloads have accelerated demand. Four reports cover the core:

• Our 800G and beyond optical transport systems market report covers high-capacity transport.
• The elastic optical networking and sliceable bandwidth on demand market study covers flexible capacity allocation.
• The optical networking for edge data centers and distributed compute market report covers optics connecting distributed compute sites.
• The optical fiber communication devices market study covers the underlying optical components.

Mobile transport and access:

• The 5G transport backhaul and fronthaul convergence market report covers mobile transport convergence.
• The 5G transport, fronthaul and TSN integration market study covers the timing-sensitive requirements of fronthaul.
• The fiber to the x (FTTx) and high-density access network solutions market report covers fiber access to homes and buildings.

Security and space:

• The security-anchored optical and packet transport architectures market report covers encryption and protection built into transport networks, prompted by concerns over subsea cable and backbone security.
• The laser-based optical ground station market study covers optical links between satellites and the ground, which offer much higher capacity than radio links.

3. Private 5G and Enterprise Wireless

Private cellular networks give enterprises coverage, reliability and control over their own data. They compete with and complement Wi-Fi. Four reports cover private networks:

• Our private 5G and enterprise wireless networks for Industry 4.0 market report covers industrial private networks.
• The private 5G platform for enterprise digitalization market study covers the platforms that operate them.
• The private wireless (CBRS and 5G) enterprise network infrastructure market report covers shared-spectrum deployments, notably CBRS in the United States.
• The industrial 5G router market study covers the routers connecting machines to these networks.

Wi-Fi and industrial networking remain central:

• The enterprise Wi-Fi 6/7 and converged access networking market report covers enterprise Wi-Fi.
• The ruggedized industrial Wi-Fi and IoT access network solutions market study covers hardened wireless for harsh environments.
• The edge network switching and intelligent convergence for industrial IoT market report covers industrial switching.
• The industrial IoT and TSN for critical infrastructure market study covers deterministic networking in utilities and transport.
• The IoT accelerator and massive IoT connectivity platform market report covers platforms that manage very large device fleets.

4. Cloud-Native Networking and AI Operations

Networks have become too complex to operate manually, so operators are automating. Three reports cover AI in network operations:

• Our AI-driven network operations (AIOps) and autonomous networking market report covers AIOps.
• The AI-driven zero-touch network automation and assurance market study covers zero-touch provisioning and assurance.
• The SD-WAN with integrated analytics market report covers software-defined wide area networking with built-in analytics.

Cloud-native architecture:

• The cloud-native networking for hybrid and multi-cloud environments market report covers networking across hybrid clouds.
• The cloud-native packet core and edge interconnect fabric market study covers the mobile core running as cloud software.
• The network slice management and orchestration market report covers network slicing, which lets one physical network serve different service levels.
• The multi-access edge compute (MEC) platforms for low-latency services market study covers compute placed at the network edge.

AI is also becoming a workload the network must serve. The agentic AI market report covers AI agents that carry out multi-step tasks, and the AI agent infrastructure market study covers the platforms and connectivity these agents require.

5. Cabling and Physical-Layer Connectivity

AI data centers have made cabling a strategic purchase. Four reports cover data center and campus cabling:

• The network cabling and connectivity for cloud-native data centers market report covers data center cabling.
• The high-density data center spine-leaf interconnect and optical fabric market study covers spine-leaf fabrics.
• The fiber optic backbone and premises solutions for data center and campus networks market report covers fiber backbones.
• The high-speed storage networking cable systems market study covers storage networking cables.

Industrial and powered connectivity:

• The industrial Ethernet cables and connectivity solutions for Industry 4.0 market report covers industrial Ethernet cabling.
• The industrial device cable market study covers device-level cables built for motion, oil and temperature extremes.
• The power over Ethernet (PoE) high-power delivery cables and infrastructure market report covers PoE, now delivering enough power for lighting, cameras and displays over data cable.
• The high-frequency coaxial and microwave cable solutions for 5G and private wireless market study covers RF cabling.
• The AI-driven network assurance and diagnostics for physical connectivity market report covers tools that diagnose faults in the physical layer, where a large share of network problems originate.

6. Mission-Critical Communications

Emergency services and transport operators are migrating from traditional radio to broadband systems while keeping the reliability their operations require. Three reports cover the transition:

• Our mission-critical push-to-talk (MCPTT) market report covers broadband push-to-talk services.
• The next-generation land mobile radio (LMR) modernization and interoperability market study covers LMR modernization and interoperability with broadband.
• The critical communications for rail, metro and mass transit operations market report covers transit communications, including the migration from GSM-R to the FRMCS standard in European rail.

7. Cybersecurity and Zero Trust

Zero trust replaces the idea of a trusted internal network with continuous verification of every user, device and request. Four reports cover it:

• Our zero trust network architecture and identity-driven security market report covers zero-trust architecture.
• The cybersecurity and zero-trust architectures for mission-critical networks market study covers zero trust in critical infrastructure.
• The secure and hardened network infrastructure for operational technology (OT) market report covers OT network security.
• The security-aware physical layer and hardened connectivity market and integrated security and physical layer defense networking market studies cover protection at the physical layer, including tamper detection and fiber-tapping prevention.

Post-quantum cryptography is the largest security migration under way. NIST published the first standards in 2024, and organizations must inventory and replace vulnerable encryption because encrypted data collected today could be decrypted by future quantum computers. The post-quantum cybersecurity market report covers this transition.

AI is changing both attack and defense:

• The AI-powered security operations center (SOC) market report covers AI-assisted security operations, a response to alert volumes and analyst shortages.
• The AI-powered web application security market and AI-powered cloud application security market studies cover application-layer defense.

8. Antennas, RF Cables and Connectors

Every wireless device needs antennas and interconnects, and these components have their own fast-moving markets. Four reports cover antennas:

• The ultra-wideband (UWB) antennas market report covers UWB antennas used in precise positioning and digital keys.
• The RFID antennas market study covers RFID antennas.
• The Wi-Fi HaLow antennas market report covers antennas for long-range, low-power Wi-Fi in IoT.
• The stamped metal antenna market study covers stamped metal antennas used in high-volume devices.

RF cables and assemblies:

• The RF coax cables market report covers coaxial cable.
• The RF cable assembly market study covers finished assemblies.

Connectors across applications:

• The fiber optic interconnects market report covers optical interconnects.
• The FPC to board connector market study covers flexible-circuit connectors used in compact devices.
• The mini-FAKRA automotive connector market report covers the compact RF connectors used for automotive cameras and radars.
• The high-performance interconnect for industrial environment market and sensor-actuator connectors market studies cover industrial connectors.
• The contactless connector market report covers connectors that transfer power and data without physical contact, useful in rotating and sealed equipment.

Where Value Is Created: The Network Value Chain

Regional perspective

• United States. Leading in private wireless via CBRS, cloud-native networking and AI-driven data center connectivity.
• Europe. Focused on Open RAN, vendor diversity, rail FRMCS migration and NIS2-driven security spending.
• Asia-Pacific. The largest 5G deployment base, with Japan and India active in Open RAN and China leading equipment production.
• Middle East. Early adopters of advanced 5G and private networks for large industrial and smart-city projects.

What to Watch Through 2032

1. Open RAN commercial scale: whether deployments move beyond flagship projects.
2. AI-driven optical demand: data center interconnect growth pulling forward 800G and 1.6T.
3. Private 5G economics: cost and complexity relative to Wi-Fi 7 in industrial sites.
4. Post-quantum deadlines: government timelines forcing cryptographic replacement.
5. 6G standardization: early specification work shaping equipment roadmaps.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Open RAN?

Open RAN defines standard interfaces within the radio access network so operators can combine radios, baseband software and management tools from different vendors instead of buying a single integrated system.

Why is optical transport growing so fast?

AI and cloud workloads move enormous volumes of data between and within data centers. Meeting that demand requires 800G and higher optical transport and denser fiber interconnect.

What is private 5G used for?

Private 5G provides dedicated wireless coverage in factories, ports, mines and campuses, supporting mobile robots, sensors and video with predictable performance and keeping data on site.

What is post-quantum cryptography?

Post-quantum cryptography uses algorithms designed to resist attack by future quantum computers. NIST published the first standards in 2024, beginning a multi-year migration for governments and industry.

What is zero trust networking?

Zero trust removes the assumption that anything inside the network perimeter is safe. Every user, device and request is authenticated and authorized continuously, limiting how far an intruder can move.

What is network slicing?

Network slicing divides one physical network into multiple virtual networks, each with its own performance guarantees, so that services such as emergency communications and consumer video can share infrastructure without interfering.

What do Mobility Foresights telecom reports include?

Each linked report provides market size and multi-year forecasts, technology analysis, segmentation by product, deployment and region, competitive landscape and company profiles, and recent developments. Customization is available on request.

Work With Mobility Foresights

Mobility Foresights provides syndicated and custom research across telecom infrastructure, enterprise networking, cabling and cybersecurity. Each report linked above can be purchased individually or tailored to a specific technology, deployment model or region. To request a sample or commission a bespoke study, contact our technology research team.