The total global market for structured cabling and connectivity reached $7.6 billion in 2024.

Data center growth is not evenly distributed worldwide. The strongest growth was observed in the United States, which is also the largest market for data centers. Hyperscalers began investing heavily in AI infrastructure in the second half of 2024. Other countries that experienced a very strong year in 2024 included the United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Spain, India, Saudi Arabia, and Norway.

“Fiber sales had a very strong year, increasing by 27% and continuing the erosion of copper’s market share,” BSRIA stated in announcing the availability of its latest global and country-specific reports. “The growth rate for single-mode fiber, especially preterm single-mode, has been very strong, driven by data center growth, while multimode growth was more modest.”

"Sales of copper products increased slightly ," BSRIA added . "Cat 6 copper maintained its leading market share in 2024, but Cat 6A should overtake Cat 6 in 2025. Asia is the most popular market for Cat 5e, while Cat 7, 7A, and 8 continue to grow from a small base."

BSRIA segments the structured cabling market into data centers and LANs.
BSRIA noted: “LAN sales also increased slightly, but there are significant geographical differences, with Asia and the US leading the way.”
“All segments of the data center market increased their investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in 2024, with hyperscale data centers leading the way.
“Market challenges include global instability, tariffs and supply chain issues, as well as power supply constraints, a lack of suitable locations, and increased regulation. However, sectors such as technology, finance, and healthcare will continue to invest in AI, driving significant growth in the data center segment and providing opportunities for vendors.”

BSRIA forecasts that the data center segment will grow by approximately 25% this year and then stabilize at a growth rate of approximately 14% between 2026 and 2029, the final year of its analysis period. The LAN market is expected to maintain low single-digit growth throughout the period.
BSRIA's global outlook includes data from 29 countries and Southeast Asia. The company conducted a new market study in 17 countries during the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025.

The data center market is highly volatile and often experiences huge spikes in demand when large hyperscalers build or expand their data center operations in a particular area.