The worldwide microwave equipment market grew 18% to $5.85 billion in 2009, as carriers ramped up spending on new mobile backhaul solutions, according to Infonetics.
But spending was subdued in the second half, with a down quarter in 3Q09, and a mere 4% increase in spending in a usually seasonally strong fourth quarter.
With operators increasingly upgrading their networks to HSPA+ and LTE, the Ethernet-based microwave equipment market is expected to enter a boom period from this year, the research firm said.
The segment is expected to grow at a 100% CAGR between 2009 and 2014.