Huawei Tops 5G Core Rankings as Private Networks Expand at IBC2025

Lead GlobalData named Huawei’s 5G Core as industry leader for the seventh consecutive year while Hitachi Rail deployed a private 5G network at its Hagerstown factory and IBC2025 hosted a Future Media Townhall on 5G applications today in Amsterdam.

Nut Graf These announcements underscore the shift from proof-of-concept to widespread adoption of 5G, highlighting vendor competition in core network solutions, the rise of private industrial networks, and the critical role of media and broadcasting stakeholders in shaping next-generation use cases.

GlobalData Recognizes Huawei 5G Core GlobalData’s 2025 Mobile Core Competitive Landscape Assessment ranked Huawei’s 5G Core first across eight evaluation areas-architecture, cloudification, performance, multimedia, automation, evolution, maturity and standards leadership-marking Huawei’s seventh straight year at the top. The report emphasized the urgency for standalone 5G core deployments to enable network slicing, private enterprise networks and autonomous operations.

Hitachi Rail Unveils Private 5G Network At its Hagerstown, Maryland factory, Hitachi Rail, in partnership with GlobalLogic and Ericsson, activated a private 5G network to enhance manufacturing efficiency and real-time data analytics. The dedicated low-latency network supports IIoT applications for automated diagnostics and predictive maintenance, setting a benchmark for smart factory deployments.

IBC2025 Future Media Townhall Addresses 5G The 5G Media Action Group’s Future Media Townhall convened industry leaders-including representatives from IEEE BTS, DVB, BBC, Akamai and Qualcomm-to discuss private 5G for live sports and broadcast, non-terrestrial networks and immersive media experiences. Panelists showcased demos of network slicing and edge computing use cases for XR and 4K streaming in connected venues.

Private Networks Drive Industry Monetization Speakers highlighted that private 5G networks are transitioning from pilot projects to revenue-generating services by supporting mission-critical applications in manufacturing, logistics and entertainment. Network slicing and cloud-native core architectures were cited as key enablers for customized SLAs and rapid service rollout.

Outlook With core network vendors competing on cloud-native architectures and enterprises investing in private 5G, industry analysts predict accelerated adoption across sectors through 2026. Standards bodies are expected to finalize enhancements in Release 18, further bolstering use cases for autonomous vehicles, smart cities and remote‐production workflows.