Sales of mobile RAN kit hit their highest level in eight years during 2011, but a slowdown during the final quarter points to a tough 2012, Dell’Oro Group predicts.
The research firm notes the RAN market recorded its strongest year of revenue growth since 2004. LTE deployments were particularly strong, accounting for 40% of global mobile RAN revenue growth in 2011, despite a tough global financial situation.
Dell’Oro analyst Stefan Pongratz says any weakness in the wireless infrastructure market is likely due to carriers shifting their product mix “from capacity to LTE coverage,” noting that the change “will have a large impact on the equipment market in 2012.”
The dominant vendors in 2011 were Ericsson and Huawei, which the research firm states recorded the largest year-on-year increases in revenues. Those rises maintain the vendors in the top two slots respectively.