Open RAN as 2026 looms: performance continues to hold it back

In 2019, the first edition of the GSMA Intelligence Network Transformation Survey revealed 21% of operators were in the initial phases of deploying open networking technologies, including open RAN. Six years later, the comparable open RAN figure stands at 22%. The lack of momentum is reflected in open RAN headlines of scaled back rollouts, delayed launches and ambitious analyst forecasts that failed to come true. As 2026 approaches, many operators remain committed to open RAN, but its status as a technology priority is nearing an all-time low.

For operators still committed to open RAN, those considering deployments, and open RAN solutions providers, the key questions are clear: what has held back open RAN market development and how is the technology failing to meet operator needs?