Investing in 5G Stocks

5G stocks provide exposure to companies that develop, manufacture, or provide the infrastructure, equipment, software, and services necessary for fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology networks. Rapid 5G mobile network construction will continue in 2026.

According to mobile infrastructure provider Ericsson (ERIC -1.55%), global 5G subscriptions are expected to total about 2.9 billion at the end of 2025 and climb to a projected 6.3 billion (about 67% of all mobile subscriptions) in 2030.

1. Broadcom

Chip design giant Broadcom (AVGO +0.44%) is a top name in 5G. Its circuitry designs can be found across the mobile network ecosystem. Included in this list of equipment are base stations that create wireless signals and network infrastructure that serves as the backbone of the internet. Broadcom also designs parts that connect smartphones and other devices to a wireless signal.

In recent years, Broadcom has made several acquisitions to add infrastructure management software to its operations. The segment assists customers with monitoring and securing their networks and cloud computing assets.

This has boosted the company's profit margins, as the software is often packaged with network hardware. Broadcom's free-cash-flow generation is incredible. Through the first three quarters of fiscal 2025, Broadcom reported $19.4 billion in free cash flow, a 40% increase over the same period in fiscal 2024.

A serial acquirer, Broadcom acquired cloud and networking hardware giant VMware in 2023 for $69 billion -- one of the largest acquisitions so far this decade. This resulted in the creation of a powerhouse in networking component design, ranging from cloud computing to 5G to infrastructure management software.

2. Qualcomm

Qualcomm's (QCOM +1.13%) product portfolio includes chips that enable 5G technology. Qualcomm has profited from the smartphone boom since the early 2000s by focusing on the tech behind 3G and 4G mobile networks. However, 5G is broadening the mobile chip designer's horizons and is opening up opportunities in IoT devices and industrial equipment, new smartphones, cars, and even modems that make up the 5G network.

The smartphone industry has matured, and unit sales no longer reliably post double-digit percentage growth. However, the 5G device upgrade boom is lifting Qualcomm's sales higher again. In addition, the automotive market is providing another source of growth. The company projects strong growth in the 5G market for automotive applications.

In its fiscal 2025 Form 10-K, Qualcomm cites research that finds "68% of new vehicles produced in 2030 are projected to have embedded cellular connectivity, with 48% of new vehicles featuring 5G connectivity compared to 21% in 2025." The company has ample cash on its balance sheet to drive innovation in hardware, and it has consistently paid a dividend for almost two decades.

3. Marvell Technology Group

Marvell Technology Group (MRVL +5.19%) has long been a leader in developing data processing units (DPUs). Its chips are instrumental in moving large amounts of digital information in networking equipment and data centers. Since mobile networks are increasingly being used in enterprise applications, 5G has been a natural fit for Marvell's portfolio of silicon.

To broaden its exposure to 5G, the cloud, and other business solutions, Marvell acquired Inphi and Innovium in 2021 and Tanzanite in 2022. The designers of fiber optics and network switching build on Marvell's existing DPU technology. As 5G technology advances and network deployment increases in markets around the globe, Marvell has a clear path to fast growth for years to come.

4. Advanced Micro Devices

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD +4.35%) makes this list due to its early 2022 acquisition of Xilinx -- the industry leader in field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chips. FPGA chips can be reprogrammed and reconfigured at the hardware level even after they've been built. As new hardware is developed for 5G, the adaptability of FPGA chips makes them ideal for building the basic equipment to deploy 5G technology.

The merger gives AMD access to a best-in-class research and development (R&D) department. Xilinx will also improve AMD's profitability since Xilinx's profit margins are far higher than those of some of the traditional AMD chips used in personal computers and data centers.

AMD remains at the forefront of 5G technology with its ZynUltraScale+ RFSoC (Radio Frequency System-on-Chip), which the company lauds for its ability to enable "a flexible solution that is high performance, power-efficient, and cost-effective."

5. Nvidia

Nvidia (NVDA +1.26%) pioneered the graphics processing unit (GPU), which is most commonly used in high-end video games. However, GPUs are also being used for other applications, such as artificial intelligence (AI), self-driving car development, and 5G.

5G networks enable faster download speeds and can handle higher traffic and intelligently route network signals where they're most needed. So, high-end GPUs are ideal for this task. Nvidia's GPUs are being used by telecom companies and equipment makers, and 5G deployment is likely to increase the need for GPUs to operate cloud-based video games streamed over networks.

In late 2024, for example, Nvidia and Verizon announced that they had collaborated to develop a solution that makes it possible for various AI applications to run over Verizon's 5G private network with private Mobile Edge Compute. Already a huge enterprise, Nvidia is finding a potentially gigantic new market in 5G.

1. Corning

Before it gets turned into a high-speed Wi-Fi signal, 5G data must travel along the wired portion of the internet, just like other electronic data. That's where fiber-optic cable comes in, and Corning (GLW +3.44%), the legacy glass and ceramics manufacturer, is a major supplier.

Even as they deploy new radio towers, many telecoms providing 5G service also need to add more high-speed cable to their networks. Corning also builds small cell antennas and accompanying software -- core components of 5G systems used in office buildings and venues such as sports arenas to deploy wireless signals. Corning has been around for a long time, but it has a long history of paying a rising dividend to its shareholders.

2. Ciena

Ciena (CIEN +5.21%) is another company that sells fiber-optic equipment and network design services to communications companies. Ciena's profits from the expansion of 5G technology have enabled the company to increase cash reserves and repurchase stock. Along the way, it has developed new capabilities, including a software segment that helps telecoms manage their networks.

As organizations update their systems to handle 5G, the company is capable of providing the engineering design and materials needed to deploy next-generation mobility. After a sales slump early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Ciena is back in growth mode again. It predicts its addressable market will expand by about $12 billion from 2023 to 2028, representing a compound annual growth rate of 20%.

3. Arista Networks

Data center and internet infrastructure company Arista Networks (ANET +1.96%) is an often-overlooked 5G stock. Because 5G carries massive amounts of data -- enabling ultra-high-definition video streaming or communications for network-connected vehicles -- data centers will play an increasingly important role in mobile network management.

Arista is a top equipment provider for data centers and internet infrastructure, with open-source hardware and network management and cybersecurity tools. Arista is well positioned to benefit from the accompanying boom in cloud computing services as 5G further increases the capabilities of mobile devices.

1. American Tower

Operating a portfolio of almost 149,000 communications sites worldwide, American Tower (AMT -0.44%) is one of the largest REITs and a top real estate company in tech. It concerns itself primarily with the land, buildings, and cell tower sites crucial to the function of both mobile networks and internet infrastructure.

American Tower also establishes fiber-optic networks that connect 5G small cell sites to the rest of the internet. This is a critical service for mobile network operators as more consumers and businesses rely on a mobile service for their internet use.

2. Crown Castle

Crown Castle (CCI -0.19%) is much smaller than American Tower, but it is a leading North American communications infrastructure property manager. It operates more than 40,000 cell towers and has about 90,000 miles of fiber, including a fast-growing portfolio of small cell nodes for 5G deployment.

Some industries are growing faster than real estate. However, Crown Castle offers its shareholders the potential for income and growth as the 5G industry develops.

3. Digital Realty Trust

Digital Realty Trust (DLR +0.21%) is a top developer and acquirer of data centers, the basic computing units of the cloud computing industry. However, since there is an overlap between cloud services and 5G, it's noteworthy that Digital Realty's clients include telecommunications companies that are building the physical assets to make 5G possible.