Nokia’s optical portfolio got a boost from Deutsche Telecom today. The German network operator plans to deploy the vendor’s optical transport portfolio as part of an ongoing network modernization effort…The contract win is a “pretty significant” one for Nokia, which doesn’t have a long history with Deutsche Telecom in the optical space, Dell’Oro Group VP Jimmy Yu said.

“The 5G wireless transport market is expected to grow exponentially to over $1B in 2023, and microwave will play a critical role in this growth. Despite common perception, it’s not just about fiber,” said Jimmy Yu, Vice President, Dell’Oro Group.

Market research company Dell’Oro Group boosted its short-term open RAN sales forecast, tipping revenue from hardware, software and firmware to hit $10 billion by end-2025 as momentum behind the approach grows.

The O-RAN hardware and software market is forecast to account for 10% of the broader RAN market and surpass $5 billion in cumulative revenue through 2025, according to a report from Dell’Oro Group. Sales of virtualized O-RAN basebands and radios, including software and firmware, are expected to capture less than 1% of the RAN market this year, but the double-digital annual growth rates predicted by Dell’Oro Group are being fueled by various factors, including a politically-motivated trade war that generally positions open RAN as an alternative to Chinese-made equipment.