5G Stocks To Buy As Analysts Debate Outlook Of Dish Network

The best 5G stocks to invest in will change as smartphone apps, fixed broadband, enterprise services and the metaverse develop over time.

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Apr 19, 2023 • 6 min read

As cloud computing becomes more popular, business services will eventually overtake consumer applications. Dish Network is one 5G stock that continues to face pressure.

Investors should be alert to updates during company earnings calls, as 5G technology is increasingly being used in smartphones, laptops autos, and industrial devices.

Apple (AAPL), the maker of iPhones, is also a stock that deserves consideration when it comes to 5G. Apple's 5G could increase in India, as China's growth slows.

Wireless firms in the U.S., led by T-Mobile US(TMUS), are deploying high-performance 5G wireless services utilizing midband radio spectrum. Verizon Communications (VZ), AT&T (T), and other wireless firms are playing catch-up.

Dish Network is another big 5G spectrum owner, and a satellite TV service provider. DISH's stock price has plummeted in 2023 due to concerns over financing its 5G wireless networks. Analysts estimate that Dish Network will need at least $3 billion in additional capital by 2025. It may be necessary to issue equity or convertible bonds linked to spectrum.

T-Mobile, Verizon and other providers continue to expand fixed wireless broadband service to the home. The majority of new connections are using 5G bandwidth instead of older 4G networks. T-Mobile & Verizon offer discounts on bundles that include 5G broadband services and cell phones.

Some analysts doubt the growth trajectory for 5G fixed wireless in homes. T-Mobile will add 2 million fixed broadband 5G subscribers in 2022. This is up from the 546,000 that it added a year ago. Verizon has added 1,17 million fixed broadband users, up from 400,000 the year before.

Craig Moffett, an analyst at SVB MoffettNathanson, said in a client note that "Fixed Wireless has scaled rapidly. T-Mobile's and Verizon's combined reach of 4.1 million customers in only two years is proof." "But the growth rate has already started to slow down, with T-Mobile reporting less net additions in Q4 compared to Q3.

Verizon aims to reach 4 to 5 millions fixed broadband 5G customers by 2025. It wants to reach 50,000,000 US households.

T-Mobile's stock has increased by 2% between 2023 and last year, after rising 22%. TMUS stocks hold the largest amount of 5G wireless spectrum in the United States among service providers.

Apple's supply chain is an opportunity for investors looking to invest in 5G stocks. Intel (INTC), in a disappointing development, is leaving the market for laptops with 5G capabilities.

Qualcomm (QCOM), a chipmaker, has warned about a decline in global smartphone sales.

Telecom equipment manufacturers expect that spending on 5G infrastructure will slow down in 2023, after having soared last year. Companies such as Verizon have begun to move traffic away from 5G core networks and onto standalone 5G networks. This will affect the type of network equipment they purchase.

Semiconductor stocks remain a great opportunity for investors to get in on the 5G wireless market early. Investors are cautious about 5G network gear manufacturers and other infrastructure players, such as cell-phone tower operators.

The best 5G stocks could be cloud computing giants such as Amazon.com, Microsoft and Alphabet (GOOGL). Many startups are involved in "edge computing." Cloud computing infrastructure will play a major role in the deployment of 5G wireless services.

In a recent note, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives stated that the major telecom operators had all formed partnerships with cloud giants in order to improve the 5G ecosystem by reducing latency and increasing speeds.

He said: "The cloud providers have an opportunity to win because edge computing brings data processing power close to the devices of customers for better performance. Cloud providers have a huge opportunity to profit as the 5G push continues across the country.

Dell'Oro, a research firm, predicts that 5G workloads in the public cloud will increase revenue by 88% annually compounded from 2022-2026. Dell'Oro estimates that cumulative revenue will be $4.6 billion over the period.

South Korea and China are leading in the coverage of 5G networks, while Europe is lagging.

Smartphones are currently the most popular 5G chips.

Omdia, a research firm, predicts that 40% of mobile subscriptions by 2026 will be 5G. This totals 4.8 billion. By 2026, 5G service revenues will reach $540 billion globally, which is 60% of all revenues.

Barclays believes that India will be the fastest-growing market for 5G smartphones from 2022 to 2025.

Other companies that manufacture chips for smartphones, besides Qualcomm, include Qorvo(QRVO), Marvell Technologies(MRVL), Skyworks Solutions(SWKS), Cirrus Logic (CRUS), and Analog Devices.

Some critics still doubt the return of 5G investments for telecom companies. They blame the lack of "killer apps" for 5G that consumers can use.

Many tech companies are developing 5G ecosystems to deliver services between businesses. 5G Americas, a telecom industry group, forecasts a sharp increase in the market for private networks that incorporate 5G over the next five-year period. The market is expected to jump from $1.9 billion to $16,9 billion by 2025.

5G infrastructure will likely replace Wi-Fi in many industrial settings, including company campuses.

Experts also expect that 5G wireless will play a part in cloud gaming, autonomous cars, drones, and remote health services.

Over time, 5G stocks will grow in number. The future of wireless 5G is in industrial internet of things, remote health care and robotics, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and more.

Some 5G stocks will have a long-term potential tied to the new networks that blur mobile and fixed-line technology.

Some chipmakers are also involved in the 5G network equipment market. These include Marvell (AVGO), Broadcom (INTC), Texas Instruments TXN and Analog Devices. Xilinx, meanwhile (XLNX), makes programmable chip prototypes for network gear.

Omdia, a research firm, predicts that the global market for 5G radio access will grow to $21 billion by 2024 from $4 billion today.

Further, 5G is also a long-term business opportunity for Ericsson Nokia and Samsung, who make network equipment.

Analysts say that cell phone tower operators American Tower, Crown Castle, and SBA Communications could also benefit from 5G. Crown Castle is a Dish Network 5G infrastructure partner.

The 5G network will be connected to fiber optic networks for "long-haul" purposes. This will ensure reliability in emerging automotive, medical and robotics applications. Corning (GLW), Ciena(CIEN) and fiber-optic companies are all potential 5G stocks.

Crown Castle manufactures "small-cell" antennas to support 5G in urban areas. Small-cell antennas, which can be mounted on utility poles and building roofs, will need fiber-optic cables to connect them to local hubs. To expand 5G networks, local government approval is needed.

Rysavy Research predicts that the number of outdoor small cells in the U.S. will increase by 10 times to 1 million by 2028.

Edge computing is the deployment of data processing, storage, and networking near sensors and other data sources, at the "edge" or the network. It is better to analyze and process data locally, in real-time, than to send it off to distant data centers on the internet cloud.

Ed Yardeni, an economist who wrote a report on the subject, said that 5G would bring about a number of new technologies. "We haven't even imagined them yet," he added. Tech gurus say that to make these technologies possible, cloud computing will be moved from a server in the cloud far away to the equipment at the edge of the neighborhood's network. Edge computing will continue to improve data transmission speed, but carriers must open their wallets in order to make this happen.

Microsoft sells global network transport and routeing services to 5G network providers. Microsoft calls this initiative "Azure For Operators". Microsoft has acquired AT&T's Network Cloud Business.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google also sell cloud infrastructure related to 5G. AWS announced in December 2021 that it will sell private 5G networks to enterprise customers.

AWS' "5G in box" service will initially use "CBRS", a shared spectrum. Analysts speculate that Amazon and Dish could eventually partner to create a 5G wireless network.

Verizon also has partnerships with AWS and Google to develop cloud-based 5G services.

Analysts say that edge computing could be a huge opportunity for Nvidia. Nvidia, Intel and AMD are the largest providers of cloud-based data center processors.

Mini data centers will also be located in the neighborhood and connected to the cloud computing infrastructure. Nokia and Ericsson have developed 5G cloud gateways.

Dell Technologies (DELL), Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE), Nokia, and others are aiming to capitalize on the edge computing.

Reinhardt Krause is on Twitter @URL. Follow him for the latest updates on 5G wireless technology, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.