Global macrocell backhaul equipment revenue is expected to grow 1 percent to $8.1 billion in 2013, said Infonetics Research.
IP/Ethernet is the growth driver of the macrocell backhaul market, performing the heavy lifting for ever-growing mobile bandwidth usage.
94 percent of macrocell backhaul equipment spending in 2013 will be on IP/Ethernet gear.
Fiber is making up an increasing share of mobile backhaul installed connections, growing to 43 percent in 2017.
Ethernet microwave radio is expected to grow at a 36 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2012 to 2017, the highest of any equipment segment.
Infonetics said telecom operators will spend a cumulative $43 billion over the five years from 2013 to 2017 on macrocell mobile backhaul equipments.
The report said microwave TDM spending is declining, but the IP packet parts are gaining. The global microwave revenue will dip slightly this year, while Ethernet microwave grows through 2017. IP edge routers will peak this year and then rumble along slightly downhill, with the strongest downward pull from Asia Pacific, countering the worldwide microwave momentum.
