Incumbents in the Next-gen Mobile Networks industry primarily consist of telecom giants like AT&T and Verizon, tech firms such as Cisco and VMware, and electronics manufacturers like Samsung and Intel. Many of these companies, including Cisco, Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung, offer comprehensive solutions across multiple segments especially targeting the earth-based services, peripheral and embedded hardware, and telecom software segments.

Incumbents not only develop advanced telecom technologies internally but also form strategic partnerships with other industry leaders and third-party providers. These collaborations, spanning semiconductor firms, cloud services, and various other platforms, largely aim to enhance product capabilities and market presence. While less common, strategic acquisitions also occur, mostly to complement its product offerings (e.g., Qualcomm acquiring Cellwize in 2022).