• Global NAD module shipments grew 14% YOY on strong growth from Fibocom, Quectel and Continental.
• Quectel and Fibocom saw significant growth fueled by the Chinese market, which expanded by over 30% due to rising demand from automakers such as BYD, Geely, Chery and Nio.
• Continental is growing as it is now more focused on launching its own 4G and 5G Qualcomm-based NAD modules for its TCUs, reducing reliance on external suppliers.
• By 2030, 5G and 5G RedCap technologies may account for nearly 90% of total NAD module shipments.
• Qualcomm is projected to maintain its leadership in the NAD chipset market with competitive 5G pricing, although new players like MediaTek, HiSilicon and Samsung have entered the automotive 5G chipset space.

Seoul, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, London, New Delhi, San Diego, Taipei, Tokyo – April 21, 2025

The global NAD module market’s shipments continued to grow in 2024. According to Counterpoint’s latest Global Cellular Automotive NAD Module & Chipset Tracker, the shipments grew 14% YoY in 2024, as embedded connectivity became increasingly standard in passenger vehicles. Commenting on the growing connectivity demand in cars, Associate Director Greg Basich said, “Quectel and Fibocom (operating under the Favalon brand) saw strong growth driven by the Chinese market, which expanded by over 30%, mainly due to rising demand from automakers like BYD, Geely, Chery and Nio. On the other hand, international brands like Rolling Wireless, the leader outside China, and LG saw a dip, as demand outside the Chinese market didn’t pick up in the same way.”

With recent geopolitical developments, the US plans to restrict automakers from selling vehicles with China or Russia-made software starting with model-year 2027, and both software and hardware by model-year 2030 (or from January 1, 2029, for vehicles without a model year). This move is likely to impact some Chinese players. Interestingly, we have already seen Tesla shift gears, certifying its own 5G NAD module after previously sourcing it from Chinese vendors.

A major player in the telematics control unit (TCU) market, Continental is growing so fast that it is now more focused on launching its own 4G and 5G Qualcomm-based NAD modules for its TCUs, reducing reliance on external suppliers. Outside of China, other new brands like Kontron are also doing well. Kontron acquired Telit-Cinterion’s automotive business in Q4 2023.

On the technology dynamics, Senior Analyst Parv Sharma said, “4G still dominated nearly 90% of the market in 2024. But by the end of this decade, 5G (5G and 5G RedCap) will capture 90% of the market. This will be driven by more centralized architectures, digital cockpits, and autonomous driving capabilities (ADAS L3+). Qualcomm is projected to maintain its leadership in the NAD chipset market with competitive 5G pricing, although new players like MediaTek (with a focus on 5G RedCap), HiSilicon, Samsung and UNISOC have entered the automotive 5G chipset space.”

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