Worldwide Telecommunications Equipment Down 11 Percent in 2024

Conditions improved in the second half, but overall, 2024 was a challenging year for the telecommunications suppliers. Preliminary findings suggest that worldwide telecom equipment revenues across the six telecom programs tracked at Dell’Oro Group—Broadband Access, Microwave & Optical Transport, Mobile Core Network, Radio Access Network, and SP Router & Switch—declined 11 percent year-over-year in 2024, recording the steepest annual decline in more than 20 years (decline was >20 percent in 2002), propelling total equipment revenue to fall by 14% percent over the past two years. This remarkable output deceleration was broad-based across the telecom segments and driven by multiple factors, including excess inventory, challenging macro environment, and difficult 5G comparisons.