8th September 2026: SNS Telecom & IT's latest research indicates that M&A activity is picking up considerably in the private 5G market, with recent moves by Orange, Druid Software, Firecell and Amper highlighting the growing strategic value of the sector.

As the private 5G market continues to mature, investment has kept pace across both startups and established private 5G specialists. SNS Telecom & IT has been approached by multiple investment firms for market projections as they pursue opportunities in the market, some of which have already culminated in equity investment. Over the last two years, the market has attracted more than $250 million in collective funding in the form of strategic growth capital, seed funding and later-stage venture capital financing rounds.

M&A activity has picked up considerably in 2026. Most recently, Orange has acquired French technology company Obvios’ Dome rapidly deployable mobile core technology assets to strengthen its position in sovereign private 5G solutions for defense, public safety and critical infrastructure operators in Europe. By bringing a French-developed core under its control, the mobile operator seeks to reduce reliance on external suppliers and give mission-critical customers greater control over sensitive data and network operations. In another recent deal, Irish private cellular pioneer Druid Software has acquired German RAN software specialist Node-H to support closer integration with its existing RAN partners, multi-vendor network management and the development of its unified end-to-end management platform for private 5G and 4G networks. The acquired Node-H software assets may also be licensed to other companies in the Open RAN and wider RAN ecosystem.

Other developments in 2026 include the merger of Firecell and Accelleran, backed by a $9 million investment round, to create a sovereign European provider of pre-integrated private 5G solutions by bringing together Firecell's core network and management system with Accelleran's programmable RAN and AI capabilities. Spanish defense group Amper has reached an agreement to acquire critical communications and private 5G vendor Teltronic. If concluded, Nokia's potential divestment of its ECE business would rank as one of the most significant transactions the market has ever seen, given the unit's long-standing dominance and broader implications for the competitive landscape. Amazon's $11.6 billion agreement to acquire Globalstar has indirect but far-reaching implications for the private wireless market – potentially culminating in a formidable combination of direct-to-device satellite services and XCOM RAN's terrestrial private 5G solution for in-building and localized coverage.

Previous deals concluded in 2025 and 2024 include the divestiture of Corning's small cell RAN and DAS portfolio to Airspan Networks, Amphenol's acquisition of CommScope's wireless assets, Motive Companies' acquisition of private cellular technology provider GXC, Riedel Communications' buyout of former Nokia spinoff and 5G campus network specialist MECSware, Rheinmetall's share purchase agreement for majority ownership of tactical core middleware developer Blackned and Nokia's acquisition of tactical communications technology provider Fenix Group to strengthen its position in the defense sector. In the service provider segment, new 5G system integrator Aerix has taken over all of the private 5G networks managed by United Kingdom-based regional mobile operator Telet. Past deals in the segment include Boldyn's acquisitions of SML (Smart Mobile Labs) and Cellnex's private networks business unit; Day Wireless Systems' takeover of Sigma Wireless; BAI Communications' acquisition of Titan ICT; Vocus' buyout of Challenge Networks; and Telstra Purple's acquisition of Aqura Technologies.

This consolidation wave is unfolding against a vendor landscape that remains far more fragmented than public cellular RAN and core sales. Although traditional wireless infrastructure players – from incumbents Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei and ZTE to the likes of Samsung and NEC – continue to lead the private cellular market in terms of infrastructure sales, there is considerably greater OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and vendor diversity than in the public mobile network segment. Of particular note is the fact that smaller vendors have recently begun securing multi-site private 5G contracts spanning dozens of facilities across multiple geographies, encroaching on territory that until recently had been the preserve of wireless infrastructure giants. 

SNS Telecom & IT's “Private 5G Market: 2026 – 2030” report and database presents an in-depth assessment of the private 5G network market, including the value chain, market drivers, barriers to uptake, enabling technologies, operational and business models, vertical industries, application scenarios, key trends, future roadmap, standardization, spectrum availability and allocation, regulatory landscape, case studies, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. The report also presents global and regional market size forecasts from 2026 to 2030, as well as historical data from 2023 to 2025. The forecasts and historical data cover two network types, three infrastructure submarkets, four spectrum licensing models, 13 frequency bands, 16 vertical industries and five regional markets. For more information, please visit: https://www.snstelecom.com/private5g

Notes for Editors

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About SNS Telecom & IT

SNS Telecom & IT is a global market intelligence and consulting firm with a primary focus on the telecommunications and information technology industries. Developed by in-house subject matter experts, our market intelligence and research reports provide unique insights on both established and emerging technologies. Our areas of coverage include but are not limited to 6G, 5G, LTE, Open RAN, vRAN, small cells, mobile core, xHaul transport, network automation, mobile operator services, FWA, neutral host networks, private 5G/4G cellular networks, public safety broadband, critical communications, MCX, IIoT, V2X communications and vertical applications.