Network Slicing Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Network Slicing Market is projected to experience substantial growth, rising from a valuation of USD 827.86 Million in 2025 to USD 6.89 billion by 2031, representing a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 42.39%. Network slicing serves as a telecommunications framework that allows for the generation of multiple virtualized networks over a single shared physical infrastructure, with each slice tailored to fulfill specific service level agreements regarding security, bandwidth, and latency. The market is primarily driven by the increasing need for industrial automation, the demand for isolated networks in critical industries like automotive and healthcare, and the push for enterprise digital transformation requiring guaranteed quality of service. These elements create a need for network capabilities that exceed standard connectivity to support the unique operational demands of various vertical industries.

Despite the market's high potential, the scaling of network slicing encounters major obstacles related to the technological intricacies of end-to-end orchestration and managing slice isolation across varied network domains. It is imperative for operators to guarantee seamless interoperability while upholding rigorous security protocols to avoid any cross-slice interference. As reported by the Global mobile Suppliers Association, 181 operators around the globe were investing in 5G Standalone networks in 2025; these networks provide the critical architectural bedrock necessary to deploy and effectively manage commercial network slicing services.

Market Drivers

The rapid deployment of 5G Standalone Network Infrastructure serves as the principal technical enabler for the network slicing market, offering the necessary cloud-native core to oversee virtualized network instances. Unlike Non-Standalone architectures that depend on legacy 4G cores, 5G Standalone facilitates the end-to-end isolation required to satisfy rigorous Service Level Agreements regarding reliability and latency. This architectural evolution is moving from the investment phase to active implementation, establishing the physical foundation required for dynamic slicing services. According to the '5G StandAlone December 2025' update by the Global mobile Suppliers Association, at least 89 operators worldwide had launched public 5G Standalone services by December 2025, distinguishing them from those who were merely investing in the technology.

Simultaneously, the increase in Enterprise Digital Transformation and Private Network Adoption is generating concrete demand for sliced network capabilities. As industries digitize their operations, they necessitate dedicated connectivity that public networks cannot consistently provide without the partitioning capabilities of slicing. This requirement for secure industrial connectivity encourages operators to commercialize their slicing portfolios. Evidence of this industrial momentum is found in recent data; for instance, the 'Interim Report for Q3 2025' by Nokia in October 2025 indicated that the company had grown its private wireless customer base to 960 enterprise clients. Highlighting this market maturity, Ericsson reported in 2025 that there were 65 commercial offerings from service providers specifically built upon 5G Standalone network slicing.

Market Challenges

The growth of the Global Network Slicing Market is significantly hindered by technological complexities involving end-to-end orchestration and the maintenance of slice isolation across differing network domains. While the architecture promises customized virtual networks, the practical reality of maintaining seamless interoperability and strict security protocols creates substantial operational friction. Operators face difficulties in managing these intricate environments without incurring cross-slice interference, which delays the ability to guarantee the service levels required by critical sectors. Consequently, this technical barrier restricts the mass scalability of slicing services, as the necessary foundation is difficult to stabilize and secure for commercial use.

This slow pace of technical implementation directly impacts market expansion by limiting the availability of the 5G Standalone networks required to support slicing. Without a robust and fully orchestrated standalone infrastructure, operators cannot effectively monetize distinct slice capabilities for vertical industries. The disparity between planned investment and actual operational readiness highlights this ongoing struggle. According to the GSMA, in 2024, only 60 operators globally were offering commercial 5G Standalone services. This low deployment figure underscores how orchestration challenges are preventing the widespread commercialization of network slicing, thereby stalling revenue generation and market maturity.

Market Trends

The Integration of Artificial Intelligence for Zero-Touch Automation is evolving to address the management requirements of dynamic slicing. As operators move beyond static partitioning, they are embedding machine learning into network domains to enable real-time, intent-based orchestration. This technological leap allows systems to autonomously optimize resources and heal faults without human intervention, mitigating the operational complexity that hinders scalability. Demonstrating this progress, according to Nokia, December 2025, in the press release 'Nokia and du set new benchmark in 5G innovation', the company implemented a 5G Advanced autonomous slicing solution that continuously measures performance and automatically adjusts RAN policies to guarantee service levels.

The Commercialization of Consumer-Centric Network Slices signifies a strategic expansion from enterprise applications toward mass-market monetization. Operators are packaging capabilities like low latency as premium consumer services for cloud gaming and immersive video, shifting revenue focus from data volume to quality-on-demand. This transition allows users to purchase guaranteed performance tiers for specific activities, broadening the addressable market beyond industrial verticals. Reflecting this shift, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report, November 2025, 33 communication service providers globally were offering differentiated connectivity services based on network slicing, signaling a decisive move from limited trials to active commercial availability for broader user segments.

Key Players Profiled in the Network Slicing Market

• Ericsson AB
• Nokia Corporation
• Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
• ZTE Corporation
• Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Affirmed Networks
• NEC Corporation
• VMware, Inc.

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Network Slicing Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Network Slicing Market, by Component:

• Platform
• Services

Network Slicing Market, by End User:

• Telecom Operators
• Enterprises

Network Slicing Market, by Application:

• Manufacturing
• Government
• Automotive
• Media
• Entertainment

Network Slicing Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Network Slicing Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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