Ericsson Named Industry Leader in Frost & Sullivan 2026 Growth and Innovation Analysis
The assessment placed Ericsson at the forefront of the top 20 companies evaluated from a pool of more than 100 global industry participants.
According to the report, Ericsson leads on both the Growth axis and Innovation axis, supported by its extensive 5G network infrastructure portfolio.
Ericsson has been ranked among the top global performers in the latest Frost Radar analysis by Frost & Sullivan, emerging as a leader across both growth and innovation metrics. The assessment placed Ericsson at the forefront of the top 20 companies evaluated from a pool of more than 100 global industry participants.
According to the report, Ericsson leads on both the Growth axis and Innovation axis, supported by its extensive 5G network infrastructure portfolio. This includes capabilities across radio access networks (RAN), transport, core and edge networks, as well as advancements in open and virtual RAN, AI-enabled networks, and private network solutions. The company’s progress in network APIs and the use of artificial intelligence to automate network operations were also highlighted as key innovation drivers.
Ericsson’s continued leadership reflects sustained investment in research and development, with nearly 21 percent of its revenue allocated to R&D in 2025. The company has also been recognized for its role as a founding member of the AI RAN Alliance and its strong focus on energy efficiency. It has already achieved its target of reducing energy consumption at new radio base station sites by 40 percent compared to 2021 levels and has now extended this goal to 50 percent by 2027.
Energy efficiency improvements have been driven by both hardware and software innovation, including modernized RAN infrastructure, AI-enabled energy-saving features, and continuous optimization of its 5G core and cloud-native solutions. These efforts aim to reduce energy consumption while improving network performance and scalability.
“Being recognized once again by Frost & Sullivan as the leader for both growth and innovation reflect our continued investment in research and development and our focus on building technology that is scalable. We apply AI throughout our full portfolio — from Massive MIMO and Remote Radios, to network management, Transport, OSS/BSS, and Core — and we already see major AI gains, enabling more open, automated, and energy-efficient 5G networks, supporting our customers’ long-term network evolution.”
– Per Narvinger, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Area Networks, Ericsson
“Ericsson significantly stands out in the 2026 Frost Radar analysis for its ability to combine innovation leadership with strong growth execution. Ericsson’s strength lies in its ability to scale innovation globally across generations of mobile technology, supported by significant and sustained investment in R&D. The company’s comprehensive 5G portfolio, leadership in open and virtual RAN, and progress in energy efficiency position Ericsson strongly as the market continues to evolve.”
– Troy Morley, Industry Principal analyst, Frost & Sullivan Information, Communications and Technologies, Ericsson
