Rohde & Schwarz’s V2X communication tester approved by the GCF.

Growth forecast for the RF tester market until 2027

  • According to a market study by Future Market Insights (FMI), more than 500,000 radio frequency (RF) test units sold in 2018 worldwide.
  • The market intelligence and consulting firm forecasts that worldwide sales of RF testers will increase by 5.6% in 2019.
  • FMI expects that more than 800,000 RF test devices will be sold by the end of 2027.
  • Over the period 2019-2027, the global market for RF testers is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6% in volume terms.

 
While more than a third of total RF tester sales are concentrated in the telecommunications industry, FMI report notes significant growth in demand for RF testers by aerospace and defence manufacturers.

The use of radio frequency waves for satellite and telecommunications applications continues to account for a significant share of the total sales volume recorded by the RF tester market. This share is strongly supported by the rapid emergence of a wave of radio and satellite communications applications, combined with increasing applicability in video broadcasting. The strong growth in sales of electronic devices communicating wirelessly is naturally reflected in an increase in sales of RF testers.

RF devices used for aerospace and military applications are subject to rigorous and essential verification of a series of performance parameters such as spectral purity, frequency coverage, phase noise, etc. This has resulted in a rapidly increasing rate of installation of RF testers in recent years. It is expected to grow by 7% per year in 2019.

According to Future Market Insights, technological advances have blurred the boundaries between conventional RF testers such as spectrum analyzers and oscilloscopes. The volume of oscilloscope sales could maintain a constant market share over the next few years. Spectrum analyzers will represent the largest share of the RF testers’ volume market.

Sales of conventional RF testers, which currently represent more than half of the total sales volume of the RF tester market, are expected to slow moderately in the coming years. The report believes that the expansion of testing capabilities for portable RF instruments promises them strong annual growth prospects, while the market for tabletop instruments is expected to experience some stability.