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Telecom Companies — US Industry Report

Official NAICS classification: Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers (51731)

The wired and wireless telecommunications carriers industry in the United States generated an estimated ~$377.0B in annual revenue across 52.9K establishments employing 835.6K workers (Census Bureau). This 38-page report analyzes industry performance, competitive dynamics, and delivers 5-year growth forecasts.

Published by VantaInsights Research TeamLast updated: March 2026NAICS 51731
~$377.0B
Market Size A VantaInsights projection for 2026, not a published federal figure: the 2017 Census Economic Census revenue carried forward at the industry's employment growth rate. The published 2017 figure is in the report.
5-Year Trend Industry growth direction over 2017-2025. Exact CAGR and year-by-year data available in report.
52.9K
Establishments Total business locations operating in this NAICS-classified industry.
835.6K
Employment Total paid employees across all industry establishments.
$XX.XB
Annual Payroll Total annual wages and salaries. Full payroll data available in report.
Decline
Life Cycle Growing slower than overall economy (not necessarily shrinking)

Industry Snapshot

  • ▸Employment contraction significantly outpacing macroeconomic growth patterns
  • ▸Market leadership concentrated among a small number of carriers
  • ▸Payroll expansion occurring alongside simultaneous workforce reduction
  • ▸Regional wage disparities reveal concentrated capital deployment across geographies
Full data and exact figures in the report

Table of Contents

1.Executive Summary

Key takeaways, industry definition, and current state overview. Covers the industry's scope, principal activities, NAICS classification context, and a concise snapshot of where the industry stands today. Reading this alone gives decision-makers the high-level picture they need before diving into data-backed chapters.

p. 3
2.Industry Performance

Historical performance analysis covering establishments, employment, and payroll (2017-2025). Examines what has driven industry performance in recent years, how the industry has responded to macroeconomic cycles, and which operating conditions have shaped revenue and labor dynamics. Includes source-cited tables and year-by-year data points.

p. 6
3.Industry Forecast

5-year projections (2026-2030) with base case, bull case, and bear case scenarios. Each scenario combines historical trends, macroeconomic indicators from FRED, and industry-specific signals. Addresses questions on expected trajectory, forecast risk, downside drivers, and the assumptions behind each scenario.

p. 10
4.Industry Outlook

Growth drivers, risk factors, and external environment analysis. Unpacks the forces that will shape the industry over the forecast horizon — demographic shifts, regulatory changes, technology adoption, and cyclical exposure. Frames both the upside opportunities and the structural risks operators and investors should weigh.

p. 12
5.Competitive Landscape

Market structure, concentration, barriers to entry, and competitive dynamics. Describes how the industry is structured between incumbents and entrants, typical competitive strategies, and what separates successful operators. Standard-tier reports add the official CR4, CR8, CR20, CR50 and HHI from the Census Economic Census, plus the largest public operators named from SEC EDGAR 10-K filings.

p. 16
6.Operating Conditions

Cost structure, labor requirements, technology factors, and the regulatory environment. Examines where operators spend, how sensitive margins are to input costs, what workforce and technology investments are typical, and which compliance and regulatory constraints shape day-to-day operations and long-term planning.

p. 19
7.SWOT Analysis

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats — each supported by concrete evidence from the underlying data. Moves beyond generic bullet points by tying each SWOT element to specific metrics, structural trends, or external forces identified elsewhere in the report. Useful for strategic planning and risk assessment.

p. 22
8.Geographic Breakdown

Regional market concentration, wage dynamics, and emerging geographic opportunities. Breaks establishments, employment, and payroll down by state and region, identifies where the industry is densest, where it is growing fastest, and how local labor markets and wage levels differ. Standard-tier and higher includes state-level tables.

p. 25
9.Major Industry Players

The largest public operators in the industry, named from their SEC EDGAR 10-K filings, with enterprise revenue and segment context. Sits alongside the official Census Economic Census concentration figures (CR4, CR8, CR20, CR50, HHI) so the named players can be read against the measured structure of the whole industry, public and private.

p. 31
38 pages·11 charts & figures·PDF format

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Industry Analysis

The Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers industry (NAICS 51731) encompasses 52.9K establishments in the United States employing 835.6K workers, generating an estimated ~$377.0B in annual revenue (Census Bureau). Classified within Information, the industry is positioned in a decline phase of its life cycle.

This report examines historical performance trends (2017-2025), competitive structure, geographic distribution, and provides a 5-year outlook (2026-2030) with growth drivers, risk factors, and industry-specific SWOT analysis.

Additional trends and insights available with purchase

Products & Services

Key service categories in the Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers industry.

Full service list on the At-a-Glance page in report

Who Uses These Reports

Trusted by professionals who need verified federal data to make decisions

Investors & PE Firms

Size markets, validate deal theses, and benchmark targets with verified federal data before committing capital

Consultants & Advisors

Deliver data-backed recommendations to clients with sourced and cited industry metrics — Census, BLS, and FRED

Founders & Operators

Validate market entry, benchmark against industry averages, and present credible data to investors and boards

Corporate Strategy Teams

Support expansion planning, M&A due diligence, and executive reporting with NAICS-classified industry data

Top Questions Answered

What is the market size of the Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers industry?

The estimated market size of the Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers industry is ~$377.0B, a VantaInsights 2026 projection carried forward from the 2017 US Census Economic Census baseline... Full analysis available in report.

Is the Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers industry growing?

The industry has experienced a moderate expansion over the measured period, with structural shifts in wired versus wireless segments influencing overall momentum. Full analysis available in report.

What does NAICS 51731 include?

NAICS 51731 covers establishments primarily engaged in operating and maintaining switching and transmission facilities to provide direct communications via airwaves or cables, including both wired... Full analysis available in report.

What is the outlook for the Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers industry?

The industry is projected to continue navigating a transition as wireless services expand and legacy wired infrastructure evolves, with outcomes varying meaningfully by market segment. Full analysis available in report.

How competitive is the Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers industry?

The industry is characterized by high barriers to entry due to significant capital requirements for spectrum acquisition and network infrastructure, leading to a concentrated competitive landscape... Full analysis available in report.

How many businesses operate in the Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers industry?

The industry features a mix of large national network operators and smaller regional or niche carriers, resulting in a moderately concentrated structure where a limited number of major players... Full analysis available in report.

What are typical wages and compensation like in the Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers industry?

Compensation in this industry tends to be above average relative to the broader economy, reflecting the technical expertise and specialized skills required across engineering, network operations, and... Full analysis available in report.

Who are the major players in the Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers industry?

The industry is served by a combination of large national carriers with extensive network footprints, regional operators focused on specific geographies, and specialized providers targeting... Full analysis available in report.

Get complete answers with detailed growth rates, forecasts, and competitive analysis.

Methodology

This report is produced using AI-assisted analysis of official US government data sources. Our methodology combines automated data collection from federal statistical databases with AI-assisted synthesis and validation. Every numerical claim undergoes a validation pass against source data.

The Census Bureau's County Business Patterns and Economic Census provide establishment counts, employment, and payroll broken out by NAICS industry and geography. The Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW program supplies wage data by industry. The Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) service contributes macroeconomic indicators used for industry forecasting — GDP, interest rates, housing starts, and sector-specific indices.

Data freshness varies by source: Census CBP has a ~2 year lag, BLS lags 6-9 months, and FRED provides near real-time macroeconomic data. Each report includes a data currency section showing exact year ranges.

Read our full methodology →

Data Sources

Every chart, table, and claim in this report traces back to a published federal statistical database. Each data point in the PDF shows its source so you can verify it against the original dataset.

Historical data range
2017-2025
Market size derivation
Est. via CAGR (Census Economic Census baseline)

Report Details

NAICS Code51731 - Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers
NAICS Vintage2017
Industry SectorInformation
Report TierStandard
Geographic CoverageUnited States
Historical Data2017-2025
Forecast Period2026-2030
Page Count38 pages
FormatPDF
Data SourcesCensus, BLS, FRED, SEC
Last UpdatedMarch 2026
AnalysisAI-assisted
Telecom CompanieswiredandwirelesstelecommunicationscarriersNAICS 51731market sizeindustry forecast

Industry Classification (NAICS)

Where this industry sits in the North American Industry Classification System.

51731Wired & Wireless Telecommunications Carriers

Classified on NAICS 2017. NAICS 2017 code. Distributed across 2 NAICS 2022 industries; no single successor.

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