Global Open Source Networking Survey Reveals Massive Insights into Cloud Native Adoption, OpenRAN, and Domain-Specific AI Priorities, with over 92% Relying on Open Source Projects

• Cloud Native networking adoption has hit its stride and the industry is in the midst of full transition, with 73% of organizations already integrating it into workloads

• Survey indicates Domain-specific AI is taking roots, as 74% of organizations see open source as foundational to AI success in the network

• OpenRAN is in early stage but set to take off, with adoption rates expected to increase 200% in 2025 and 100% from the beginning of 2026 to the end of 2027 if enabled by Open Source CU/DU

LONDON–Open Networking & Edge Summit— March 31, 2025 — LF Networking, the facilitator of collaboration and operational excellence across open source networking projects, today announced the findings of its recent Linux Foundation Research survey on Open Source and Networking, designed to gauge insights on open source adoption within the networking industry. The results of the survey were discussed on stage at Open Networking and Edge Summit in the opening address on the State of Open Source Networking, with Linux Foundation SVP of Research, Hilary Carter, and GM of Networking, Edge and Access, Arpit Joshipura. 

“As we’ve seen in other industries, this research confirms that open source is the driving force behind networking innovation, particularly as organizations accelerate their transition to cloud native architectures and AI-driven automation. The overwhelming networking industry support for open source projects—whether in Open RAN, domain-specific AI, or cloud native networking—underscores its critical role in ensuring scalability, security, and interoperability in an increasingly software-defined world.”

“These findings demonstrate that open source networking and domain-specific AI-driven automation are no longer optional—they are essential for innovation, scalability, and security,” said Arpit Joshipura, general manager, Networking, Edge and IoT at the Linux Foundation. “LF Networking projects and initiatives are working across the stack to both provide the needed foundation for digital transformation while also addressing current gaps. With strong industry backing, open source will continue to redefine networking’s future, addressing both technical and business challenges.”

Key takeaways include:

• Open source is critical for innovation and ongoing success 
  • 92% of organizations believe that open source projects are important to the future of their organization. 
  • 94% of organizations see an open source foundation’s support of projects as important, very important, or extremely important.
  • 83% of organizations see the business value derived from OSS as high or very high. 
• The shift toward cloud native networking is nearing market penetration, with 73% of organizations already integrating it into their workloads. Key benefits include automation, orchestration, scalability, and resilience. However, some challenges remain, including primary barriers like skills gap (38%), security and compliance concerns (37%), and licensing and legal risks (35%).
• Open source should be the foundation for AI development, according to 74% of organizations
  • Top reasons for accelerating networking AI adoption include the availability of high quality datasets (56%) and frameworks for AI application development (29%).
• Leading AI applications include network automation & orchestration (57%), security & threat detection (50%), and predictive maintenance (41%) 
• OpenRAN is on the precipice and set to see explosive growth. OpenRAN functions are currently modest at single-digit deployment, but this is predicted to increase 200% in 2025 and increase 100% from the beginning of  2026 to the end of 2027. 

The survey results validate LF Networking’s mission of advancing open source networking, fostering collaboration, and driving innovation in automation, cloud-native networking, and AI-driven network solutions. Projects like the Anuket/Thoth, 5G Super Blueprints, Nephio, and the Cloud Native Telco Initiative — coupled with growing development of domain-specific AI solutions —  underscores LF Networking’s commitment to developing scalable, secure, and future-ready networking solutions that address evolving technological and business demands.

A full report of the survey findings will be available on the LF Networking website in the coming weeks, as well as a recording of the keynote session. 

To learn more about how LF Networking and its project ecosystem is enabling digital transformation, visit www.lfnetworking.org. 

To learn more about LF Research, visit www.linuxfoundation.org/research