Investment in 5G standalone (5G SA) networks is growing worldwide, with public operators deploying networks for multiple scenarios, GSA said in a report.
5G SA can function as an overlay on existing 5G non-SA networks, as a greenfield deployment for operators without a separate LTE network, or as a private network for enterprises, utilities, educational institutions, governments, and other organizations requiring dedicated campus networks.
According to GSA, 181 operators across 73 countries and territories have invested in public 5G SA networks through trials, planned deployments, or live launches, representing 27.8 percent of operators involved in any 5G licenses, trials, or deployments.
The Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region leads in the number of 5G SA network launches, totaling 40 so far. There were 31 5G SA network launches in the Asia Pacific region. 5G SA network launches have reached 12 in North America. There were 5 5G SA network launches in the Central and Latin America region.
Notable recent developments include French operator SFR launching 5G SA services to consumers in October 2025, Poland’s Play extending 5G SA trials with Ericsson, and Nubicom in Paraguay planning 5G SA deployment following its 5G license award in October 2025.
Asia–Pacific remains a stronghold for early 5G SA adoption, with 31 operators having launched networks and an additional 18 actively rolling out services. In 2025, several operators achieved country-first milestones, including Orange in Slovakia and Romania, Liberty Latin America in Costa Rica, Sunrise Communications in Switzerland, Elisa in Estonia, LMT in Latvia, Ucom in Armenia, U Mobile in Malaysia, and JT in Jersey.
SFR in France has advanced its 5G Standalone (5G SA) strategy by deploying a cloud-native core network with Nokia. Initially focused on enterprise services through SFR Business, the operator rolled out “5G+” slicing services and in 2025 expanded 5G SA to consumers, offering high-data unlimited plans. The network supports features such as network slicing and high-speed connections across multiple frequency bands, reflecting a mature public and enterprise 5G SA approach.
Poland’s Play has partnered with Ericsson to test 5G SA networks, beginning in Białystok and expanding its infrastructure to 13,000 base stations. This move is part of a broader plan to transition from 5G NSA and legacy networks to an independent 5G SA network. The partnership includes modernization of the Radio Access Network and deployment of advanced features like MIMO, positioning Play for a large-scale 5G SA rollout in the coming quarters.
In Paraguay, Nubicom was awarded a 200 MHz 5G license in the 3.5 GHz band and has a formal period to establish operations. Infrastructure deployment is expected within six months, with commercial 5G SA service likely by early 2026. As a greenfield entrant, Nubicom’s 5G SA deployment will introduce the first standalone network in the country.
The ecosystem for 5G SA devices continues to expand. GSA tracks 2,750 announced devices with 5G SA support, a 30.2 percent increase from 2,112 at the end of September 2024. Commercial availability has grown to 2,518 devices, up 33.7 percent from 1,883 in September 2024. The proportion of 5G SA devices among all announced 5G devices has steadily climbed from 69.7 percent in December 2024 to 73.6 percent by September 2025, reflecting growing adoption and readiness for standalone networks.
The 5G SA market is evolving into a robust ecosystem of chipsets, devices, and public and private network deployments. Key trends shaping the future include 5G carrier aggregation, ultrareliable low-latency communications (URLLC) for machine-to-machine connectivity, expanded millimeter-wave support, RedCap ecosystem growth, network slicing, and the rollout of Voice over New Radio (VoNR) in 5G SA networks. GSA anticipates continued expansion and innovation as operators worldwide advance their 5G SA strategies.
Partnerships with major mobile network vendors like Nokia and Ericsson are central to these efforts, while spectrum licensing continues to drive new network rollouts. Investment in base stations, RAN upgrades, and advanced features signal readiness for commercial operations and a growing global 5G SA ecosystem.
Baburajan Kizhakedath