5G Customer Premise Equipment (5G-CPE) Market Size & Growth [2033]

5G Customer Premise Equipment (5 G-CPE) Market Overview

The 5G Customer Premise Equipment (5 G-CPE) Market size was valued at USD 1556.73 million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 2414.97 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 5.0% from 2025 to 2033.

The 5G Customer Premise Equipment (5G-CPE) market is undergoing rapid expansion due to increased deployment of 5G networks and surging demand for high-speed broadband access in both urban and rural areas. In 2024, more than 41.2 million 5 G-CPE units were shipped globally, a 39% increase from the 29.6 million units recorded in 2022. These devices enable end-users to access 5G wireless networks by functioning as routers, gateways, or receivers, particularly in fixed wireless access (FWA) deployments. Outdoor CPEs accounted for 56% of shipments due to their extended range capabilities, while indoor units gained traction for home and small office environments.

Asia-Pacific led global consumption, accounting for over 19.8 million units, followed by North America with 9.2 million units and Europe with 7.4 million units. In rural broadband rollouts, particularly in India and sub-Saharan Africa, over 6.1 million 5 G-CPE devices were deployed under government-backed initiatives. Sub-6GHz frequency-based CPEs remained dominant, with 32.4 million units sold in 2024, while mmWave devices surged to 8.8 million units. Manufacturing hubs were concentrated in China, Vietnam, and South Korea, where over 70% of global units were assembled.

Key Findings

Top Driver reason: Rising demand for fixed wireless access and rural connectivity expansion.

Top Country/Region: China led with 13.6 million units consumed in 2024.

Top Segment: Outdoor CPEs dominated with 56% share of total units shipped.

5G Customer Premise Equipment (5 G-CPE) Market Trends

One of the most significant trends in the 5 G-CPE market is the increasing adoption of fixed wireless access (FWA) for both residential and enterprise broadband services. In 2024, over 26.7 million 5 G-CPE units were deployed specifically for FWA, representing 65% of the total market. Telecom operators across the United States, India, and Japan integrated 5 G-CPE devices as part of their last-mile broadband strategy, reducing reliance on fiber infrastructure.

Another prominent trend is the migration toward dual-mode CPEs supporting both 5G NSA and SA architecture. Over 19.3 million such devices were shipped in 2024, driven by the need for flexibility in hybrid network environments. These devices also supported backward compatibility with LTE, facilitating smoother transitions for network providers and end-users.

A major technology shift has occurred with the integration of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E in 5 G-CPE units. In 2024, over 15.5 million devices shipped with Wi-Fi 6 capabilities, enabling end-users to achieve internal network speeds above 1.8 Gbps. South Korea alone deployed 2.2 million Wi-Fi 6-enabled 5G-CPEs in smart home projects. Furthermore, 1.1 million next-generation CPEs supporting Wi-Fi 7 entered commercial pilot deployments.

Increased miniaturization and edge computing integration were seen in the 5G-CPE space. By the end of 2024, over 4.3 million devices included onboard processing capabilities for data filtering and local analytics, particularly in industrial and enterprise settings. Mesh-enabled CPEs also grew in popularity, with over 1.9 million mesh-compatible units shipped globally, primarily in North America and Europe.

Environmental sustainability also emerged as a trend. More than 120 brands launched 5G-CPE products using recycled plastic and power-saving chips in 2023–2024, leading to average energy consumption reductions of 17% per unit.

5G Customer Premise Equipment (5 G-CPE) Market Dynamics

Drivers

Increasing demand for high-speed fixed wireless broadband

The primary driver of the 5G-CPE market is the accelerating demand for fixed wireless broadband in regions where fiber or cable deployment is economically infeasible. In 2024, more than 34% of new broadband installations in emerging markets relied on 5G-CPE solutions. Government initiatives in countries such as India, Indonesia, and Brazil funded over 11 million device deployments to support remote learning, telemedicine, and agricultural data exchange. Telecom operators also adopted CPE as a cost-effective last-mile solution, with over 270,000 new FWA base stations commissioned globally in 2023–2024. In rural U.S. states, over 3.8 million homes received 5G-CPE installations under federal broadband initiatives.

Restraints

Limited mmWave deployment infrastructure

Despite mmWave 5G technology’s ability to provide ultra-high-speed connections exceeding 3 Gbps, its adoption in 5G-CPE remains limited due to infrastructure constraints. Only 11.3% of global CPE units sold in 2024 supported mmWave bands, with availability largely restricted to urban areas in the U.S., Japan, and parts of South Korea. The requirement for line-of-sight connectivity and limited indoor penetration posed significant deployment barriers. More than 64% of telecom operators globally still lacked mmWave spectrum licenses or compatible tower infrastructure,

Opportunities

Expansion of smart cities and industrial automation

Smart city infrastructure and industrial automation present a significant opportunity for 5 G-CPE market growth. In 2024, over 5.9 million CPE devices were installed in smart traffic, surveillance, and utility applications. In industrial zones, over 3.4 million units were used for wireless PLC connectivity, remote diagnostics, and IoT edge computing. China’s urban digitalization initiatives alone resulted in 2.1 million CPE deployments for smart utility meters and surveillance grids. The integration of CPEs with private 5G networks in manufacturing facilities grew by 47% between 2022 and 2024, creating demand for rugged, low-latency outdoor devices.

Challenges

Device interoperability and vendor fragmentation

The growing variety of 5G bands and proprietary configurations among telecom operators creates a challenge for 5G-CPE manufacturers. In 2024, over 420 different device SKUs were tracked in the market, with frequent compatibility issues across regions and carriers. More than 17% of consumer complaints globally stemmed from device activation failures due to carrier lockouts or firmware mismatches. Device certification and multi-operator compatibility testing are complex and time-intensive, slowing time-to-market for new devices. Furthermore, chipset diversity, including Qualcomm, MediaTek, and UNISOC, resulted in inconsistent performance benchmarks, especially in edge use cases. These challenges impact standardization and increase return rates in both B2C and B2B deployments.

5G Customer Premise Equipment (5 G-CPE) Market Segmentation

The 5G-CPE market is segmented based on type and application. The two main types are indoor and outdoor units, while the primary applications include residential, commercial, and industrial segments. Each category demonstrates unique usage profiles, deployment strategies, and performance requirements.

By Type

Indoor: Indoor 5G-CPEs are primarily used in homes and small offices and accounted for 44% of total shipments in 2024, with over 18.1 million units delivered. These devices typically support plug-and-play connectivity and Wi-Fi routing capabilities. South Korea and Japan deployed over 3.5 million indoor units in urban apartments during 2024. The average download speed in indoor deployments reached 980 Mbps, with over 60% of devices incorporating Wi-Fi 6 or higher for in-home mesh networking.
Outdoor: Outdoor 5G-CPEs captured a 56% market share with 23.1 million units shipped in 2024. These devices are mounted externally and deliver stronger signal reception, particularly in rural and industrial areas. India and China led outdoor deployments with 9.3 million combined units used in agriculture, education, and mining. Devices in this category commonly support dual-band antennas and IP67-rated enclosures for environmental durability.

By Application

Residential: Residential applications comprised 62% of total deployments, equating to approximately 25.5 million units in 2024. Demand was highest in countries with an underdeveloped fixed-line broadband infrastructure. Government subsidies and retail bundling by operators contributed to residential growth in regions like India, Mexico, and South Africa.
Commercial: Commercial use represented 24% of demand with around 9.9 million units deployed in offices, retail chains, and hospitality. The U.S. and Western Europe led in commercial adoption with over 4.1 million devices supporting guest Wi-Fi and digital POS systems in 2024. Integration with VPNs and network slicing features made these devices attractive to enterprises.
Industrial: Industrial use cases represented 14% of the market with 5.8 million units deployed in 2024. Use cases included smart factories, automated warehouses, and utility monitoring. Germany and China were leaders in deploying 5G-CPE for machine connectivity, robotic process automation, and sensor integration.

5G Customer Premise Equipment (5 G-CPE) Market Regional Outlook

North America

reported over 9.2 million 5 G-CPE units deployed, with the U.S. accounting for 8.4 million. Fixed wireless broadband made up 72% of installations. Over 2.9 million households in rural states used CPE to connect to 5G towers built under federal broadband infrastructure initiatives. mmWave-based CPEs held a 22% share in this region, reflecting carrier investment in high-band spectrum.

Europe

Deployed 7.4 million 5 G-CPE devices in 2024. Germany, the UK, and France collectively accounted for over 5.2 million of these units, primarily in commercial and residential sectors. FWA solutions were used in over 1.7 million underserved households. Sub-6GHz remained dominant due to broad coverage and fewer licensing barriers.

Asia-Pacific

Led globally with over 19.8 million units installed. China topped deployment at 13.6 million, with India at 3.1 million and Japan at 1.7 million. Massive rural connectivity programs, industrial 5G rollouts, and smart city initiatives fueled this region’s dominance. Government mandates in India supported 5G-CPE usage in 58,000 villages and 9,300 educational institutions in 2024.

Middle East & Africa

reported 4.8 million units deployed. UAE and Saudi Arabia led smart city trials involving over 740,000 5G-CPE devices. Sub-Saharan Africa used over 2.6 million units to connect rural health clinics, schools, and farms under donor-supported programs. South Africa led with over 900,000 residential 5G-CPE installations in 2024 alone.

List of Top 5G Customer Premise Equipment (5G-CPE) Companies

Netgear
Samsung
Huawei
Yeastar
Milesight
Nokia
Zyxel
Askey Computer Corp
Inseego
Sercomm Corporation
Wavetel Technology
TENCO
Fastweb (Swisscom)
Arcadyan
ZTE
Acer
OPPP

Top Two Companies with the Highest Share

Huawei: Led global shipments in 2024 with over 10.6 million units sold, holding a 25.7% market share.

ZTE: Followed with 7.8 million units deployed, capturing 18.9% of the total 5G-CPE market.

ting mass-market appeal. Furthermore, the average cost of mmWave CPE units remained 38% higher than sub-6GHz variants, reducing affordability for mass adoption.

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

Investment activity in the 5G-CPE market has surged in response to increasing global demand for broadband connectivity, particularly in regions lacking wired infrastructure. In 2024, more than 138 major investment projects were recorded across manufacturing, R&D, and deployment support, totaling over 41.5 million additional device production capacity worldwide. China led in capital expenditure with the establishment of five new CPE assembly facilities in Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces, which collectively added over 15.3 million units of annual output capacity.

In India, government and private partnerships supported the setup of local 5G-CPE manufacturing clusters in Tamil Nadu and Telangana. These hubs targeted an annual capacity of 6.8 million units, with export plans to Southeast Asia and Africa. As part of the “Make in India” initiative, over ₹5,300 crore was allocated to companies investing in telecom hardware production, including 5G routers and CPE devices.

North America saw strategic investments from Inseego and Netgear in expanding cloud-based firmware services and remote device management platforms. Over 1.2 million devices shipped in 2024 were bundled with remote management subscriptions for SMBs and residential users. Venture capital also played a critical role, with over $310 million directed toward startups focusing on AI-integrated CPE and energy-efficient designs.

Industrial applications attracted significant investment. In Germany, over €160 million was committed to integrating 5G-CPEs in smart manufacturing zones, enabling 4.9 million new device installations by 2025. In South Korea, investments in ruggedized CPEs for factory and mining environments supported a shipment volume increase of 38% in 2024 compared to the previous year.

New opportunities are emerging in satellite-backhauled 5G-CPE, where devices can connect to LEO satellite networks for internet delivery in isolated locations. Over 480,000 such hybrid CPEs were deployed globally in 2024, with Africa and parts of Latin America being early adopters. Companies including Yeastar and Sercomm announced joint ventures with satellite operators to co-develop such devices.

Smart city integration remains a long-term opportunity. Dubai, Riyadh, and Singapore collectively deployed 2.1 million 5G-CPE units in municipal applications including traffic cameras, public Wi-Fi, and environmental sensors. These use cases prompted local governments to allocate over $280 million in 5G infrastructure grants through 2024.

New Product Development

Innovation in 5G-CPE has intensified as manufacturers compete to meet growing performance, design, and deployment requirements. Between 2023 and 2024, over 117 new product SKUs were launched globally with enhanced technical specifications and multi-band capabilities.

In 2024, Huawei released the HN8650 series, a Wi-Fi 7-capable outdoor 5G-CPE featuring dual-SIM failover, edge computing capability, and support for 22 sub-6GHz bands. The product shipped 1.3 million units within the first eight months of launch. Its average download speed in field tests reached 2.6 Gbps, with less than 11ms latency over standalone 5G networks.

ZTE’s F892X Pro model became the top-selling indoor CPE in Europe, with over 1.7 million units deployed by year-end 2024. This model features integrated eSIM, AI-assisted network optimization, and zero-touch provisioning for enterprise users. Additionally, it supports OpenRAN interfacing, making it compatible with multi-vendor network environments.

Netgear expanded its consumer CPE lineup with the Nighthawk M6 Pro, shipping 680,000 units in 2024. This device supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz and incorporates Wi-Fi 6E with tri-band mesh capability. A unique feature includes thermal regulation sensors that optimize performance under high-load conditions in hot climates.

New materials and eco-friendly design innovations are reshaping product strategies. Milesight introduced a solar-powered 5 G-CPE for agricultural use in remote regions. The unit integrates LoRaWAN and 5G connectivity, enabling smart irrigation and livestock monitoring in areas lacking electricity. More than 58,000 units were sold across Southeast Asia and Africa in 2024.

On the software side, AI-based traffic prioritization became a standard in premium devices. Over 4.1 million units shipped in 2024 incorporated AI to monitor device usage patterns and allocate bandwidth dynamically. Samsung and Nokia rolled out software platforms that enable CPE units to function as part of AI-defined networks (ADN), a foundational element of upcoming 6G standards.

These innovations are not only improving performance but also enhancing service delivery. Over 31% of telecom operators now offer device-as-a-service (DaaS) bundles, allowing users to upgrade hardware and software annually via subscription. In 2024, this model reached 4.9 million subscribers globally, reflecting a major shift in the CPE value chain.

Five Recent Developments

Huawei launched a Wi-Fi 7-supported outdoor CPE unit in February 2024, selling 1.3 million units globally within eight months.
ZTE deployed its OpenRAN-compatible indoor CPE across 23 telecom networks in 2024, achieving 1.7 million unit sales in Europe alone.
Netgear announced a partnership with a U.S. telecom provider in May 2024, enabling 520,000 bundled CPE activations within the first quarter of rollout.
Milesight introduced a solar-powered industrial CPE for smart agriculture in Q4 2023, with 58,000 devices installed across Southeast Asia and Africa.
Yeastar collaborated with a LEO satellite provider to develop hybrid 5G-satellite CPEs, leading to 140,000 trial units deployed by Q3 2024.

Report Coverage of 5G Customer Premise Equipment (5 G-CPE) Market

This report offers an extensive analysis of the global 5G Customer Premise Equipment (5 G-CPE) market, examining device shipments, technology evolution, geographic expansion, and competitive performance from 2022 to 2024. Over 41.2 million CPE units were shipped globally in 2024, with segmentation across indoor/outdoor devices and residential, commercial, and industrial applications.

It evaluates deployment patterns across key regions including Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Middle East & Africa. Asia-Pacific led global consumption with 19.8 million units in 2024, driven by rural broadband expansion and industrial deployment in China and India. North America and Europe followed with 9.2 million and 7.4 million units respectively, while Middle East & Africa deployed 4.8 million units.

The report benchmarks major players such as Huawei and ZTE, who together held a combined 44.6% market share in 2024. It includes strategic profiles, product launches, capacity expansion initiatives, and partnerships, offering insight into over 17 global players. Details on over 117 product launches and 138 investment projects are included, providing a complete view of the innovation and capital landscape.

Market dynamics are covered in depth, analyzing four critical dimensions: growth drivers such as FWA demand, restraints like mmWave infrastructure gaps, emerging opportunities in smart cities and industrial automation, and challenges tied to device interoperability and vendor fragmentation. Quantitative data includes unit shipments, regional breakdowns, and technology adoption metrics such as Wi-Fi 6E and dual-mode architecture.

Innovation is a central focus, covering AI integration, energy-efficient materials, and satellite-linked hybrid devices. Over 4.1 million AI-optimized CPE units shipped in 2024 alone, highlighting the transition toward intelligent edge networking. Additionally, sustainability-driven designs using recyclable materials and solar energy are shaping a new class of eco-CPEs.

The report also includes recent developments such as Huawei’s Wi-Fi 7 rollout, ZTE’s OpenRAN CPE integration, and Milesight’s smart agriculture solutions. These case studies validate the ongoing transformation in 5G-CPE design and deployment models. Overall, the report presents a factual, data-driven view of the 5G-CPE ecosystem’s evolution and its role in enabling global broadband connectivity, industrial digitization, and consumer-level wireless access.