5G in agriculture market seen topping $14 billion by 2030

The Business Research Company says the 5G in agriculture market is on track to exceed $14 billion by 2030, led by North America and hardware demand. The report points to precision farming, autonomous machinery and real-time monitoring as the biggest growth drivers.

Why it matters: - 5G is becoming core infrastructure for precision farming, autonomous equipment and real-time monitoring across agriculture. - The market’s growth could reshape how farms use sensors, drones, connected machinery and data platforms to improve yields and cut costs. - The report puts the 5G in agriculture market on track to exceed $14 billion by 2030.

What happened: - The Business Research Company released its 5G in Agriculture Market Global Market Report 2026. - The report forecasts the market will grow at a 30% compound annual growth rate through 2030. - North America is projected to lead the market with an $8.0 billion valuation by 2030, up from $2.9 billion in 2025. - The United States is expected to be the largest national market, reaching $7.5 billion by 2030 from $2.8 billion in 2025. - The report says hardware will be the largest component category, at 49% of the market and $7 billion by 2030.

The details: - The report says 5G will make up about 93% of the broader precision farming market’s value by 2030, with precision farming itself expected to reach roughly $15 billion. - Within the wider agriculture industry, expected to total $17,550 billion by 2030, 5G-enabled farming solutions would represent nearly 0.1% of overall value. - Connectivity segments covered in the report include enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable low-latency communication and massive machine-type communication. - Deployment modes include on-premises systems and cloud-based platforms. - Applications include precision farming, livestock monitoring, smart greenhouses, autonomous tractors, drones and other use cases. - End users include farmers, agribusinesses, research institutes and other stakeholders. - Hardware growth is tied to 5G-enabled sensors, gateways, drones and connected farming machinery. - The report says software and services also present major opportunities, with those segments together expected to add more than $11 billion by 2030. - Between 2025 and 2030, the market is forecast to add $5 billion in hardware, $3 billion in software and $3 billion in services.

Between the lines: - Precision farming is the biggest demand engine because farms want better field-level decisions, higher yields and more efficient input use. - Smart agricultural equipment is another key driver as farms adopt autonomous vehicles, robotics and connected irrigation systems. - Real-time monitoring is gaining importance as farms look for continuous visibility into crop status, livestock health, environmental conditions and equipment use. - The market is moderately fragmented, with the top 10 firms accounting for 25% of total revenue in 2025. - Deere & Company led global sales in 2025 with a 7% share, helped by its precision agriculture portfolio spanning connected tractors, autonomous equipment, IoT systems and analytics. - Other major players named in the report include Huawei Technologies, Ericsson, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Nokia, Cisco, Verizon, Kubota and AGCO. - The report says competition depends on rural 5G coverage, IoT integration, edge computing, data interoperability and partnerships between telecom and agriculture companies.

What’s next: - The report expects rural 5G infrastructure buildout to keep expanding, especially in North America and the U.S. - Companies are focusing on low-latency networks, AI and IoT integration, and precision farming tools to defend market share. - Pilot projects are likely to remain a key proving ground for 5G smart agriculture deployments. - A December 2024 project in Çorum, Turkey, from Türk Telekom and ZTE used drones, automated machinery, smart spraying, fertilization and precision irrigation to showcase the model. - The Business Research Company says growing adoption of connected farming systems should accelerate demand for end-to-end 5G-enabled agriculture solutions.

The bottom line: - 5G in agriculture is moving from pilot projects to a sizable commercial market, with hardware, connectivity and automation tools set to drive the next phase of farm digitization. - More information is available in the company’s report.