Network Emulator Market Size

Global Network Emulator Market size was valued at USD 261.2 million in 2023 and is poised to grow from USD 286.28 million in 2024 to USD 596.03 million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 9.6% during the forecast period (2025-2032). 

The global network emulator market growth is driven due to a combination of forces, including the rapid transition of mission-critical applications and services to the cloud and rapid cloud computing adoption. Moreover, with workloads being moved to the cloud, organizations are left to wonder how they can enhance the performance of their applications when faced with variable network conditions. Network emulators enable them to develop real network conditions like bandwidth constraints and latency, which help organizations acknowledge and address future performance issues before they even deploy their applications to the cloud. This proactive testing approach delivers seamless migrations to the cloud, which drives demand for network emulation products.

The widespread use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and the growth in 5G networks are also fueling the demand for network emulators. For example, as IoT devices are increasingly connected across industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and smart cities, there is increasing need for testing and verifying the performance of such devices under diverse network conditions. Apart from that, network emulators enable companies to emulate the performance of such devices on live networks, enabling them to hone their IoT solutions and provide stable connectivity. In addition to that, with the advent of 5G networks, there are new challenges such as ultra-low latency and high bandwidth needs. Therefore, network emulators play a vital role in testing and optimizing applications and services to meet the requirements of 5G networks.

For instance, in November 2024, next generation 5G Core Network Test Solutions were announced by GL Communications Inc. These solutions enable network operators, equipment vendors, and service providers to test 5G performance as well as reliability in response to the complexities introduced by 5G networks.

How AI and 5G Integration are Shaping Network Emulators?

AI-enabled automation and advanced technologies are contributing to the fact that the network emulator market is expanding at a rapid rate. AI is being used for optimizing network testing, real-time fault correction using automation, and enhancing performance simulation as 5G, as well as cloud networks, get more complex. To enable telecom operators to replicate and forecast network performance prior to mass roll-out, Spirent Communications, for example, launched its 5G Digital Twin based on AI in 2024. Similarly, early in 2025 Keysight Technologies announced a highly sophisticated AI-based network emulator that enhances cybersecurity resilience by detecting vulnerabilities in real-time. Network emulation is being revolutionized by these new developments, enabling it to be more flexible, efficient, and essential for next-generation connectivity.