Industry Analyst Jeff Kagan Examines What Comes Next and Who Will Lead
Industry Analyst Jeff Kagan is offering fresh perspective on how 5G, 6G, AI, FWA, Private 5G and IoT are transforming the telecom landscape, and why the next growth wave remains uncertain. This impacts investors, competitors, technologies, consumers, business customers, networks, equipment makers, workers, executives and the media.
“In recent years, private 5G has attracted significant attention from carriers, equipment makers, and investors,” said Kagan. “It was expected to be one of the next major growth waves as traditional wireless growth slowed. However, that strategy is now evolving once again.”
The private 5G ecosystem includes major carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, alongside equipment providers like Nokia, Ericsson (Cradlepoint), Cisco, Celona, Betacom, and Boldyn Networks. These companies offer both managed services and infrastructure for enterprises building private networks.
At the same time, cable TV providers including Xfinity, Spectrum, Altice, and Cox are navigating similar industry shifts toward wireless, broadband and streaming as legacy services decline for some more than others.
Verizon and FIFA have a deal for the upcoming World Cup 2026 for 5G, fibre, fixed wireless access (FWA) and broadcast services. This kind of publicity is important. It shows industry leadership. What can we expect from other competitors?
Today, the business side of these companies seem to be the focus for growth.
While 5G was expected to drive significant new revenue, so far results have fallen short of expectations. Private wireless emerged as a promising solution, and B2B companies are increasingly using this technology, but widespread growth has yet to materialize.
“As exciting as private wireless sounded, the anticipated growth has not yet occurred,” Kagan noted. “Once again we are seeing companies adjust their strategies, in response.”
Kagan emphasizes that cyclical growth is nothing new for telecom.
“This industry has never followed a straight growth path,” he said. “There are periods of rapid expansion followed by slower phases or even stagnation. Remember the problem period before the iPhone and Android growth cycle?”
One of the last major growth surges came nearly 20 years ago with the introduction of smartphones, led by Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android platform, reshaping the competitive landscape and displacing former leaders like BlackBerry and Motorola.
Kagan points to the rise and fall of legacy services like POTS (plain old telephone service), which grew steadily for decades before declining with the arrival of broadband. Today, traditional services such as landlines and cable TV continue to shrink, replaced by wireless, data, broadband and streaming.
Now, the industry is once again searching for its next breakthrough. Will yesterdays leaders continue to lead, or will new companies transform the industry once again?
“Telecom companies are investing billions into 5G, 6G, AI, IoT, FWA, private wireless and other emerging technologies,” said Kagan. “But the key question remains: which innovations will truly drive the next wave of growth and which companies will lead?”
Kagan believes transformation is inevitable, but leadership is far from settled.
“We will always need to communicate, so this industry has long-term staying power,” he said. “However, which technologies and which companies will lead the next chapter is still an open question.”
“Will it be Today’s dominant players, or new entrants who disrupt the market as we’ve seen before?” Kagan added. “Only time will tell, but one thing is clear: transformation is underway.”
About Jeff Kagan
Jeff Kagan is a leading Industry Analyst, Strategic Advisor, Columnist, and Keynote Speaker specializing in wireless, telecom, AI, and emerging technologies. For more than 40 years, he has provided insight into market trends, company strategy, and technological innovation across both B2B and B2C sectors.
Kagan has advised senior leadership teams including CEOs, CMOs, and CAIOs—on navigating disruption in the AI era.
He has written thousands of articles and columns and is widely recognized for translating complex technology trends into clear, actionable insights.
Former AT&T Executive Vice President of Public Relations Dick Martin described Kagan as “the most widely quoted analyst in the telecommunications industry” in his book Tough Calls: AT&T and the Hard Lessons Learned from the Telecom Wars.
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