Market Report
RAN Automation Market Report 2026: C-SON, RIC, SMO, rApps & xApps | Market Size, Vendor Shares & Forecast Through 2031
Report Abstract
Centralized SON (C-SON) has been the backbone of mobile network automation for over a decade, and its use cases are now moving into apps running on the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) and the service management and orchestration (SMO) layer. This report tracks that transition in one place. It sizes the C-SON software and services revenue market, forecasts its evolution through 2031 into non-Real Time RIC rApps and near-Real Time RIC xApps, and benchmarks the vendors competing across both worlds.
- C-SON software and services market size and forecast through 2031 by region
- C-SON vendor market shares
- Evolution of C-SON use cases to RIC and SMO apps
- Breakdown of non-Real Time RIC rApps vs. near-Real Time RIC xApps
- Coverage of 100 rApp, xApp, and dApp suppliers
- Market size and forecast data through 2031 by region
- Vendor market shares
- Vendor ecosystem mapping
- Definitions and methodology
Key Questions This Report Answers
- How large is the C-SON software and services market today, and how does it grow by region?
- Which vendors hold the largest C-SON market shares, and how are they shifting?
- How are C-SON use cases evolving into RIC and SMO apps?
- What is the split between non-Real Time RIC rApps and near-Real Time RIC xApps?
- Who are the leading rApp, xApp, and dApp suppliers, and how is the ecosystem developing?
- Where are operators choosing established C-SON vendors, and where are they adopting open RIC-based automation?
Format: PowerPoint analysis + Excel data file (vendor ecosystem, definitions & methodology)
Forecast Period: Through 2031
Coverage: C-SON | SMO | non-Real Time RIC rApps | near-Real Time RIC xApps
Regions: North America | Europe Middle East Africa | Asia Pacific | Caribbean Latin America
Vendors Covered: AirHop Communications, Amdocs, Ericsson, HCL Technologies, Nokia, P.I. Works, Qualcomm, Samsung + 100 rApp/xApp/dApp suppliers
Delivery: Immediate download
About the Author
Stéphane Téral, Founder & Chief AnalystWith over 37 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, including 30 years in Silicon Valley, Stéphane Téral is regarded as one of the top analysts in his field, having been the trusted advisor at some of the world's largest telecom providers and manufacturers. He specializes in next-generation wireless infrastructure including 5G and 6G, network disaggregation and automation, cloud and quantum networking, programmable core networks and communications service provider digital transformation.
As an advisor to start-ups, service providers, vendors and the investment community, Stéphane helps clients identify new market opportunities, conducts due diligence, and advises on positioning, product development, business plans and M&A. A highly sought thinker and speaker, Stéphane is frequently quoted in prestigious publications such as The Economist, Nikkei Asia, Le Monde, Les Echos, L’Usine Nouvelle, Barron's, and The Wall Street Journal. He also chairs and presents at global industry events including Brooklyn 6G Summit, FYUZ, GSMA Mobile World Congress, OCP Regional Summit, and NGMN IC&E. Stéphane has been a frequent expert judge for industry and technology innovation awards, such as the GSMA Global Mobile Awards (the GLOMOS), and the Layer123 World Congress.
Stéphane founded TÉRAL RESEARCH in January 2023 after 2 years as a Chief Analyst at LightCounting, which he joined in May 2020, after serving as a Technology Fellow at IHS Markit where he was also rewarded with the 2016 Market Research Excellence Award. Previously, he spent 8 years as a principal analyst at Infonetics Research after starting his analyst career at RHK, where he developed the European optical coverage and helped carriers migrate from PSTN to next-generation networks. Prior to RHK, he was an R&D engineer and project manager with Alcatel where he deployed the CATV optical networks that allowed the 1992 Olympics and the grand opening of Euro Disney to be televised using fiber optics for the first time. Stéphane is a McGowan Scholar at the McLaren School of Business of the University of San Francisco where he received his MBA with an emphasis in telecommunications. He holds an engineering degree in telecommunications from the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France.