xHaul: Worldwide Forecast 2022-2028

"Maximising 5G performance and QoE requires new thinking - and new investment - in xHaul."

Several parallel developments are driving operators to invest in new approaches to xHaul, including new backhaul topologies, increased fiberisation and deployment of fronthaul and midhaul. All these trends will create increased revenue opportunities, despite price erosion in fibre and a slowdown in microwave build-out.

This report provides forecasts for operator spending on xHaul, including active equipment and related software and services for mobile network backhaul, midhaul and fronthaul between 2022 and 2028.

This report answers the following questions.

• What are the key trends and factors that will affect the xHaul sector during the period between 2022 to 2028?
• What are the regional factors that will drive growth?
• What should vendors do to exploit new business opportunities?
• How does operators' preference for fibre over microwave for new installations impact vendor revenue and 5G economics?
• Will densification and virtualisation have a significant impact on xHaul in the near term?
• Will fiberisation change xHaul ownership and give access to new customers?

Geographical coverage

Service types

• Tower, roof and street furniture backhaul sites
• Fibre, microwave, satellite and other technologies
• Fronthaul and midhaul for centralised or virtualised RAN