Investment in 5G standalone network (SA) deployment marks a significant milestone in the evolution of 5G, aiming to offer lower latency, increased bandwidth, and improved reliability compared to earlier network configurations.
This news report leverages Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data to track 5G SA deployments since Q2 2023, examining 5G SA service adoption and its impact on network performance. Ookla highlights key regions and countries that have made notable advancements in 5G SA infrastructure.
Key Takeaways:
Leading Regions and Countries:
India, the U.S., and Southeast Asia are at the forefront of 5G SA adoption.
T-Mobile and SK Telekom were among the first to launch 5G SA in 2020.
Chinese operators and Jio in India lead in terms of active 5G SA users.
Europe lags somewhat, with operators hesitant due to low ROI on existing 5G investments and unclear business cases for 5G SA, despite having the highest number of operators planning to launch it.
Top Performers in 5G SA:
The U.A.E. and South Korea lead the world in 5G SA performance.
5G SA download speeds in the U.A.E. reached 879.89 Mbps, while South Korea achieved 729.89 Mbps.
5G SA upload speeds were also impressive: 70.93 Mbps in the U.A.E. and 77.65 Mbps in South Korea.
These performances result from significant advancements by local operators in deploying 5G SA and testing advanced features such as network slicing and mobile edge computing (MEC).
Performance Changes Over Time:
Speedtest Intelligence data shows varying changes in 5G SA performance between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024.
Many countries saw declines in performance due to increased user base and network traffic.
Conversely, markets such as Canada and the U.S. improved their performance thanks to access to additional spectrum.
Future of 5G SA Deployments:
Most existing 5G deployments use the non-standalone (NSA) model, which uses the 4G core network.
Unlike 5G NSA, 5G SA uses a dedicated 5G core network, unlocking the full capabilities of 5G with better speed, latency, and support for large numbers of devices.
5G SA enables new features such as network slicing and cloud-native architecture, offering more scalability and automation.
Operators like DISH in the U.S. and Jio in India have adopted SA from the outset, while others use NSA as a stepping stone towards SA.
Investment and Ecosystem Growth:
The Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) identified 230 operators that had invested in public 5G SA networks by the end of June 2024.
5G SA represented more than 37 percent of the 614 operators known to have invested in 5G through trials or deployments.
The GSA reported 1,535 commercially available devices, including handsets and fixed wireless access (FWA) CPEs, that support 5G SA, demonstrating the growing maturity of the device ecosystem.
Deployment Trends:
Only 11 new 5G SA deployments in nine countries were recorded (out of 46 new 5G networks launched in 32 countries) in 2023, indicating a slowdown in deployments.
The pace of 5G SA launches is expected to accelerate in 2024 and beyond, supported by the growing device ecosystem and commercial appetite for new 5G use cases.
Speedtest Intelligence data shows that the number of 5G SA samples increased year-on-year, with coverage expanding beyond urban centers. However, many regions, including most of Africa, Europe, Central Asia, and Latin America, have yet to experience 5G SA.
The latest Ookla report identifies key regions and countries where 5G Standalone (SA) networks are gaining momentum, driven by increasing demand for faster and more reliable connectivity.
Developed Asia-Pacific (DVAP) Region at the Forefront
The DVAP region leads in 5G SA launches, with operators benefiting from strong government support, technology leadership, and high consumer demand for high-speed internet services.
South Korea: A pioneer in 5G SA, with SK Telecom deploying services in early 2020. South Korea leads the region in 5G SA speeds with a median download speed of 729.89 Mbps and an upload speed of 77.65 Mbps.
U.A.E.: The top performer globally, with a median download speed of 879.89 Mbps and an upload speed of 70.93 Mbps.
Singapore: All three service providers have commercialized 5G SA services, covering over 95 percent of the country. Median download speed is 481.96 Mbps, but upload speed lags at 32.09 Mbps.
Macau and Japan: Follow with median download speeds of 404.22 Mbps and 272.73 Mbps, respectively.
Mainland China: Median speed of 236.95 Mbps, supported by network-sharing agreements and government subsidies.
Australia: Median download speed of 146.68 Mbps and upload speed of 17.69 Mbps, lagging behind regional peers.
Performance in DVAP countries remained stable or slightly declined between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024, except for South Korea and Australia, which saw improvements.
5G SA Performance in the Americas
In the U.S., T-Mobile and DISH have made significant strides in 5G SA deployment.
T-Mobile: Launched 5G SA over 600 MHz spectrum in 2020 and expanded to 2.5 GHz mid-band spectrum in 2022.
DISH: Pioneered a cloud-native Open RAN-based 5G SA network in 2023, covering 73 percent of the population by the end of the year.
Canada: Rogers Wireless launched 5G SA in 2021.
Brazil: Operators like Claro, Telefonica (Vivo), and TIM launched 5G SA over the 3.5 GHz band, achieving median download speeds of 474.65 Mbps and upload speeds of 32.36 Mbps.
Canada and the U.S. saw improvements in 5G SA speeds, while Brazil experienced a decline.
Emerging Asian Pacific (EMAP) Region
India leads in 5G SA expansion, but the Philippines tops in download speed.
Philippines: Median 5G SA download speed of 375.40 Mbps, with Globe expanding coverage and launching 5G SA private networks in 2023.
India: Median download speed just under 300 Mbps, with Jio leading in 5G SA coverage since October 2022.
Thailand: Median download speed lower than the Philippines and India but leads in upload speed.
Countries in EMAP experienced more substantial declines in performance compared to Q2 2023, likely due to rapid coverage expansion.
Europe: Highest Number of Planned 5G SA Deployments
Europe has the highest number of operators planning 5G SA deployments, driven by a maturing device ecosystem.
Spain: Notable for high speeds in 2023 (614.91 Mbps download, 56.93 Mbps upload) but saw a significant drop in 2024.
Finland, Germany, UK, France, Austria, Italy, Spain, Denmark: Various operators have launched or plan to launch 5G SA services.
Despite some declines, Europe remains a key region for future 5G SA growth.
Conclusion
The Ookla report underscores the global momentum of 5G SA, highlighting significant progress and varying performance across regions. As adoption increases and the ecosystem matures, the pace of 5G SA deployments is expected to accelerate, unlocking new capabilities and improving connectivity worldwide.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
