Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A new report suggests Verizon and AT&T may finally be ready to launch its stand-alone 5G network in a wider national capacity, nearly three years or so after both providers started their (very limited) rollouts.
- 5G Stand-alone is a true 5G technology, while 5G non-standalone uses a 4G core and lacks some of the extra capabilities of 5G SA. The former is also much easier to upgrade to 5.5G.
While T-Mobile has been rolling out its 5G SA (stand-alone) network for a while now, AT&T and Verizon have been much later to the party. Both providers operate 5G SA equipment in a limited capacity, but neither is even close to offering national coverage. The good news is that, at least according to one new report from the industry analysts at Dell’Oro, this may finally change this year.
Dell’Oro’s data claims there have been eight new global deployments of Stand-Alone 5G in 2024 and several existing rollouts have continued to progress rapidly throughout the year. It also suggests Verizon and AT&T are also stepping up their deployments and are expected to launch in a more nationwide capacity this year.
If you haven’t followed the 5G standard very carefully you might not fully understand what Stand-Alone 5G is and how it differs from what’s out there. In short, Verizon and AT&T still primarily rely on non-standalone 5G which utilizes a 4G core to provide faster speeds but misses out on some of the unique features that true stand-alone 5G can offer such as network slicing and more stable speeds.
How important are innovations like 5 SA and 5.5G to you?
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There’s another major reason why 5G SA matters, and that’s for supporting the new 5.5G standard. T-Mobile previously claimed it would begin rolling out 5G-Advanced in late 2024 and while we never heard much after it announced plans in October, it’s very likely that the Uncarrier is deep in testing and should launch in some capacity imminently. Meanwhile, AT&T and Verizon have been quieter on this front. Part of the reason is the lack of 5G SA.
Simply put, adding the 5.5G upgrades to true stand-alone 5G is a fairly simple update process comparatively, making it easier for T-Mobile to get ahead here. Considering how T-Mobile has been a consistent leader in the 5G space, we imagine this rollout is very much a priority for its rivals.
Does SA 5G really matter at the end of the day for average customers? Yes and no. It’s certainly capable of certain tricks that current solutions lack, though I’d argue that for the majority of folks even a high-quality 4G network is more than adequate in most scenarios.
The truth is that innovations like 5G are more about future-proofing for smart devices and other innovations first and foremost, but it’s still important for all three of the big carriers to stay on top of these changes if they want to continue to lead the market in years to come.
