Over-the-air testing market Report Scope & Overview:

The Over-the-air testing market Size was valued at USD 2.73 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 4.20 billion by 2032 and grow at a CAGR of 5.57% over the forecast period 2025-2032.

The expansion of wireless technologies such as 5G, IoT, Wi-Fi 6/7, and the connected devices across industries are one of the major factors driving the growth of Over-the-Air (OTA) testing market. As the demand for seamless wireless connectivity continues to rise, device manufacturers and network operators need antennas, receivers, and transmitters to perform as expected and meet compliance and reliability requirements. At the same time that OTAs have ramped up to accommodate connected smart devices, self-driving cars, wearables, and connected health equipment, the number of devices they need to test has also increased, to keep pace with the latest real-world functionality. According to study, over 340 service providers had launched commercial 5G services globally, with around 70 of them deploying 5G standalone (SA) networks by late 2024

Over-the-air testing market Trends

• Rapid adoption of 5G, IoT, and next-generation wireless technologies is driving OTA testing demand.

• Increasing deployment of millimetre-wave, beamforming, and massive MIMO requires advanced OTA validation methods.

• OTA testing is becoming critical for smartphones, wearables, autonomous vehicles, and connected healthcare devices.

• Adoption of AI-driven automation in OTA testing is improving accuracy and reducing certification time.

• Use of virtual OTA environments and digital twins enhances testing efficiency and lowers operational costs.

• Sustainability is becoming a focus, with virtualized testing reducing energy consumption and carbon footprin.

The U.S. Over-the-air testing market size was USD 0.68 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 1.03 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.38% over the forecast period of 2025-2032. driven by the rapid rollout of 5G networks and the growing adoption of IoT devices across industries such as healthcare, automotive, and smart homes. Advances in autonomous vehicles and connected car technologies are creating high demand for reliable wireless communication validation.

Over-the-air testing market Growth Drivers:

• 5G and IoT Expansion Fuel Rising Demand for Seamless, Reliable Over-the-Air Testing Worldwide

The OTA testing market is primarily driven by the rapid deployment of next generation wireless technologies such as 5G IoT Wi-Fi 6/7 and connected ecosystem. Such technologies require a strong OTA validation to mitigate the concerns of reliable wireless connectivity, low latency, and interference-free performance. New-age testing methodologies are required to ensure effective digital signal processing methods required for millimetre-wave frequencies and capabilities like beamforming and massive MIMO in 5G that are quite different from well-known test methodologies of the past. OTA testing evaluates the performance of smartphones, wearables, autonomous vehicles, and connected healthcare devices most critical in a real-world environment.

5G smartphone shipments are projected to comprise 69% of global shipments by 2025, highlighting the increasing consumer adoption of 5G-enabled devices.

Over-the-air testing market Restraints:

• Complex Test Infrastructure and High Investment Costs Challenge OTA Testing Scalability for Smaller Manufacturers

The need for OTA testing is increasing, but the adoption of OTA testing remains limited due to expensive test costs and infrastructure complexity. Large anechoic chambers and shielded facilities enable advanced testing environments, but these can cost millions of dollars to construct. However, testing for technologies such as 5G and IoT requires not only precise measurement systems and specialized equipment, but also engineers with extensive training, which results in even higher operational costs. For smaller device manufacturers internally lab cost is a burden, hence they rely on third-party testing services but in turn results in slowdown of product launches and increased expenses.

Over-the-air testing market Opportunities:

• AI-Powered Automation and Virtual OTA Environments Create Future-Ready, Sustainable Testing Ecosystems Across Industries

The combination of AI-based automation and virtual OTA testing environments provides a disruptive opportunity to the market. Conventional OTA (Over the Air) setups require onerous testing environments at very high capital cost & is often time consuming, virtual OTA approach can instead simulate realistic environment conditions such as mobility, interference & multipath propagation at lower cost & higher efficiency. AI algorithms increase accuracy by predicting antenna performance, identifying failure early and automating mundane tasks, resulting in up to a 40% reduction in overall certification time. Virtualized paths are like to allow sustainable objectives for lowering the consumption of energy and carbon impact than physical facilities. As industries move towards more complex multi-layered wireless ecosystems and towards 6G research, AI driven, cloud-based OTA testing solutions offer highly lucrative avenues for providers to provide faster, cost-effective and eco-friendly validation services.

Digital twin efficiency: In the renewable energy sector, integrating digital twins with predictive analytics has been shown to reduce energy consumption by up to 30%.

Over-the-air testing market Segment Analysis

• By Component: In 2024, Solution led the market with share 60.08%, while Services are the fastest-growing segment with a CAGR 6.04%.

• By Testing Type: In 2024, Antenna testing led the market 45.60%, while Receiver testing fastest-growing segment with a CAGR 6.26%.

• By Technology: In 2024, 5G led the market with share 27.62%, while IoT the fastest-growing segment with a CAGR 7.67%%.

• By End Use: In 2024, Telecommunications led the market with share 32.40%, while Automotive is the fastest-growing segment with a CAGR 7.82%.

Over-the-air testing market Segmentation Analysis:

By Component, Solution Lead Market While Services Fastest Growth

Due to the increasing need for efficient and effective testing solutions for maintaining proper device functioning and working in compliance with connectivity standards and regulations, the Solution segment continues to hold major portion of the overall Over-the-Air (OTA) testing market from products and services front catering to advanced test platforms, software and integrated hardware across 5G, IoT, and other next-generation wireless technologies. On the other hand, the Services segment is registering fast-paced growth due to the growing adoption of third-party testing labs, consulting service and managed OTA testing service, particularly by the small and medium-sized enterprises which lack firm infrastructure. A combination of strong solutions and scalable services is driving competitive dynamics across the market with accelerated adoption in automotive, telecommunications, healthcare and smart devices.

By Testing Type, Antenna testing Lead Market While Receiver testing is Fastest Growth

The global Over-the-Air (OTA) testing market is dominated by Antenna Testing, and it is the key to optimal signal transmission, network performance, and compliance in 5G, IoT, and other wireless devices. Despite this, it is still the most popular type of testing, which shows the significance of testing in Smartphones, wearables, autonomous vehicles and connected healthcare devices. On the other hand, Receiver Testing is witnessing highest growth owing to increasing device complexity, higher data rates and requirement for accurate sensitivity and interference verification. A demand that is fast-tracking its way through OTA testing ecosystem as one of the high growth segments due to the increasing adoption and deployment of next generation networks and facilitating smart devices is the comprehensive receiver validation service.

By Technology, 5G Lead Market while IoT Fastest Growth

The Over-the-Air (OTA) testing market is primarily dominated by 5G technology due to its global rollout, complex network architecture, high-speed connectivity, low-latency applications, and massive device ecosystems. Over-the-air (OTA) testing for 5G is extremely critical for smartphones, autonomous vehicles, smart devices to make sure that these devices work reliably in the real-world environment, including millimetre-wave frequencies, beamforming, and massive MIMO. On the other hand, another fastest growing chip sector share is under IoT technology as several connected devices can be found in smart home, issues too as automated apparatus, healthcare and alternative medical care, and automotive chips sectors. Due to this large number and diverse nature of the IoT devices, the amount of OTA validation needs to be extensive to ensure signal integrity, interoperability, and compliance, making it a high growth area in the overall market.

By End Use, Telecommunications Leads Market While Automotive Fastest Growth

The Telecommunications segment accounts for the largest share as the need for testing smartphones, network equipment and connected devices across 5G, Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies is instrumental for optimal connectivity, performance and compliance. All of this, of course, means that to make sense of their hardware, OTA testing is a must for all network operators and device manufacturers to ensure signal integrity, interference handling and optimal real-world performance. On the other hand, Automotive segment will be the fastest-growing mainly due to the exponential rise in demand for connected cars, autonomous vehicles, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems. Due to the growing incorporation of wireless technologies in vehicles, the automotive sector is a high growth end use segment for OTA testing for safety, dependability, and regulatory compliance.

North America Over-the-air testing market Insights:

The global OTA testing market was led by the North America region in 2024, with more than 35.08% of the market being held by the region owing to the rapid rollout of 5G networks and the increase adoption of IoT devices in various industries, including automotive, healthcare, consumer electronics, etc. Combined with rigorous regulatory standards and a strong concentration of major wireless device manufacturers, this reinforces the region's supremacy. Furthermore, the increasing application of AI and machine learning is improving the efficiency and accuracy of ota testing processes. Future Scope North American OTA testing market is one of the rapidly growing markets with the driving factors of increasing technological innovations and rising demand for reliable and stable wireless communication from various end-user verticals.

U.S. Dominates Over-the-air testing market with Advanced Technological Adoption

The U.S. leads the OTA testing market, driven by rapid 5G deployment and widespread IoT adoption. Advanced technologies like AI, machine learning, and virtual OTA environments are enhancing testing accuracy and efficiency. Strong regulatory standards and a robust presence of device manufacturers further reinforce the country’s market dominance.

Asia-Pacific Over-the-air testing market Insights

Driven by the rapid deployment of 5G, the Asia-Pacific OTA testing market is expected to register the fastest CAGR of 6.69% during the forecast period, from 2024 to 2030. Additionally, the region being a global hub for electronics manufacturing creates immense demand for OTA testing among consumer devices and automotive applications, solidifying the regions dominance further. Benefit from the growth of automotive sector, especially in China and Japan, increasing demand of OTA testing rises to ensure safety and reliability for connected and autonomous vehicles. Moreover, the growing needs for the comprehensive OTA testing solution due to the rise of smart city initiatives and infrastructure. Additionally, National policies integrating technological innovation with digital infrastructure development are likely to continue driving growth of the market in the region.

China and India Propel Rapid Growth in Over-the-air testing market

The OTA testing market in China is witnessing lucrative growth owing to the growing need for reliable and secure wireless communication technologies across telecommunication, automotive, healthcare and other industries. The soaring proliferation of IoT devices and the emergence of 5G technology further augment the necessity of OTA testing for equipment verification processes given the need for optimal performance, seamless interoperability and conformance to relevant industry standards and regulations.

Europe Over-the-air testing market Insights

The OTA testing market in Europe is anticipated to grow due to presence of 5G network implementations, and device proliferation throughout various industry verticals via IoT. The increasing smart city projects in countries such as Germany, the UK, and France are among the key factors driving the demand for OTA testing solutions. Connected and autonomous vehicle technologies in the European automotive sector also contribute to the necessity and frequency of OTA testing. Moreover, the need for on-device compliance and performance testing with increasing regulatory standards for compliance across the region is driving the demand for scope of OTA testing.

Germany and U.K. Lead Over-the-air testing market Expansion Across Europe

Germany and the UK are at the forefront of Europe's OTA testing market, driven by their advanced automotive sectors and rapid 5G deployments. Germany's strong presence in automotive manufacturing and the UK's leadership in telecommunications innovation are key factors propelling market growth.

Latin America (LATAM) and Middle East & Africa (MEA) Over-the-air testing market Insights

The OTA testing markets in Latin America and Middle East & Africa are gradually growing in these regions, especially due to the penetration of wireless technologies like 4G, 5G, and IoT devices in major countries, such as Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, and UAE. The expansion of mobile networks and smart city initiatives in LATAM is creating growing OTA test demand for reliable device performance and network compliance. Likewise, the burgeoning end-user industries like telecommunications, healthcare, and automotive are driving the demand for connected devices in MEA, resulting in a need for effective OTA testing solutions.

Over-the-air testing market Competitive Landscape

Rohde & Schwarz is a leading provider of OTA testing solutions, offering comprehensive services for wireless devices, including smartphones, wearables, and IoT devices. Their R&S CMW radio communication tester platform, in collaboration with ETS-Lindgren, delivers advanced OTA testing capabilities for next-generation wireless technologies.

• In November 2024, Rohde & Schwarz Collaborated with ETS-Lindgren to offer comprehensive OTA testing solutions for next-generation wireless technologies, enhancing support for 5G and beyond.

Keysight Technologies is at the forefront of the OTA testing market, providing state-of-the-art solutions for evaluating the performance and compliance of wireless devices. In collaboration with ETS-Lindgren, they introduced the first OTA test solution for equipment enabling narrowband non-terrestrial networks (NB-NTN), addressing the growing demand for satellite-based communication systems.

• In March 2024, Keysight Technologies partnered with ETS-Lindgren to launch the first-ever over-the-air (OTA) test solution for devices utilizing narrowband non-terrestrial networks (NB-NTN).

Anritsu Corporation offers a range of OTA testing solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of the wireless communication industry. Their collaboration with Bluetest has led to the development of advanced OTA measurement solutions for Wi-Fi 7 devices, enabling efficient evaluation of high-end smartphones, AR/VR devices, and cloud-gaming devices. Anritsu's commitment to technological advancement ensures their position as a significant contributor to the OTA testing market.

• In October 2024, Anritsu and Bluetest partnered to create a new Over-the-Air (OTA) measurement solution for Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) devices, specifically supporting 2×2 MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) environments.

Over-the-air testing market Key Players:

Some of the Over-the-air testing market Companies

• Keysight Technologies

• Rohde & Schwarz

• Anritsu Corporation

• SGS S.A.

• Bureau Veritas

• Eurofins Scientific

• Intertek Group plc

• UL LLC

• Microwave Vision Group (MVG)

• CETECOM

• BluFlux LLC

• TÜV Rheinland

• TÜV SÜD

• Spirent Communications

• ETS-Lindgren

• Advantest Corporation

• National Instruments

• Verkotan

• Nokia Corporation

• Qualcomm Incorporated