Mobile network optimization/self-organizing network (SON) market nearing $3 billion by 2015

CAMPBELL, USA: Market research firm Infonetics Research has released a new 2G/3G Optimization and 4G Self-Organizing Network (SON) Software Market Outlook, the industry’s first realistic attempt to size the optimization market.

The report sizes and forecasts the mobile network optimization (MNO) market, including 2G and 3G optimization software and 4G self-organizing network (SON) software aimed at automating LTE network rollouts.

“While 2G and 3G mobile network optimization has been around for two decades, SON -- considered an unrealistic dream just 10 years ago -- is new to the party as of 2009 as the first iteration of the ‘zero-touch’ network, diminishing human involvement in network operational tasks.

Both segments of the market are growing as telecom operators race to reduce their opex and capex, but SON is about to skyrocket: we forecast global SON software revenue to grow at an 84 percent CAGR from 2010 to 2015, and 2G/3G optimization software revenue to grow at 4 percent,” notes Stéphane Téral, author of the report and principal analyst for mobile infrastructure at Infonetics Research.

Market highlights
* The mobile network optimization market, including 2G/3G optimization and 4G SON software, is forecast to grow to almost $3 billion by 2015.
* The market is being fueled by telecom operators seeking efficiencies in their networks as mobile subscribers continue migrating from 2G to 3G technology, and eventually to 4G.
* 78 percent of the world’s mobile subscribers are on 2G networks, the rest are on 3G, with 4G networks just getting started
* 2G/3G optimization software makes up the majority of the overall MNO market, while SON software is growing the fastest, driven by growing LTE network rollouts.
* Smaller specialist vendors in the mobile network optimization market are being increasingly squeezed by larger equipment suppliers happy to throw in software as a value-add to the infrastructure they sell to telecom operators.
* Since the restructuring of China’s telecommunications industry in 2008, Asia Pacific has become the largest market for mobile network optimization and SON.