Telecom operators worldwide are ramping up deployment of the 5G core as the industry shifts from the early, coverage-driven phase of 5G to a more service-centric model. While radio network innovations tend to attract the most attention, the 5G core is where operators unlock real monetisation potential. It enables low-latency services, network slicing, standalone architecture, and AI-driven network intelligence – all critical for the next phase of digital transformation.
5G standalone (5G SA) is expanding rapidly after a slower-than-expected start. By September 2025, 78 operators had launched 5G SA in 42 countries, while another 96 had announced launch plans. Altogether, 174 operators across 72 countries are now in the SA ecosystem. At the same time, 5G-Advanced is beginning to take hold in markets such as China, the US, the GCC and mature Asia-Pacific markets, bringing improvements in network performance, automation and efficiency. Features like improved positioning, RedCap support and tighter non-terrestrial network integration highlight the growing diversity of devices and service types that 5G cores must manage.
The November 2025 edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report projects strong growth in 5G adoption, with global 5G subscriptions expected to rise from 2.9 billion at the end of 2025 to 6.4 billion by 2031. Standalone 5G subscriptions are forecast to exceed 4.1 billion by 2031, accounting for nearly two thirds of all 5G connections.
Global mobile data traffic, excluding Fixed Wireless Access, is expected to grow more than two times to reach 310 exabytes per month by 2031. The share of mobile data carried over 5G networks is set to increase from thirty four percent at the end of 2024 to forty three percent in 2025, and will reach eighty three percent by 2031, underscoring the expanding role of 5G in handling global data demand.
For telecom operators, this wave of innovation means that the 5G core must evolve to support new AI-driven applications, new device categories and a wider mix of consumer and enterprise use cases. Services such as AI calling – combining real-time translation, interactive avatars and voice-guided menus – will require deterministic performance across bandwidth, latency, voice, video and data, putting additional pressure on core capacity and traffic management.
Artificial intelligence is emerging as a fundamental pillar of 5G core strategy. Operators are increasingly adopting AI for troubleshooting, network optimisation, energy reduction, security enhancement and operational automation. This aligns with the broader progression from 5G SA to 5G-Advanced, where improved uplink capability allows AI workloads to be processed more efficiently while low-cost IoT drives new data-generation opportunities.
AI also pushes core functions closer to the network edge. To meet latency, security and resilience demands, many operators are now deploying distributed core nodes far beyond centralized data centers. However, this distributed model increases complexity and requires more advanced operations and maintenance frameworks – something that will be widely discussed at the summit.
Beyond AI, operators are exploring agentic AI in the core – a new paradigm where intelligent agents plan, reason and act autonomously across domains. GSMA Intelligence research shows that two in three operators have begun testing or deploying agentic AI in their core networks. This represents the next stage of automation, essential for handling the scale and complexity of 5G-Advanced and future 6G networks.
Monetisation is another major focus. As investments in 5G SA and 5G-Advanced grow, operators need stronger revenue drivers. A rising number of operators are adopting experience-based monetisation models where user experience becomes a sellable feature. Examples include operators in China, AIS Thailand, Singtel in Singapore, Elisa in Finland and several Gulf-region operators. The 5G core’s intelligence layer is key to enabling differentiated services and guaranteeing performance through real-time assurance.
The enterprise domain represents an even larger opportunity. New research covering more than 5,300 enterprises across 10 verticals shows that companies will allocate 10 percent of their revenues to digital transformation from 2025 to 2030, with AI and 5G the top investment areas. This positions the 5G core as the backbone of next-generation enterprise solutions such as private networks, automation platforms, industrial IoT and mission-critical applications.
Taken together, these trends show that 5G SA, 5G-Advanced and AI are no longer separate initiatives. They are interconnected pillars shaping how operators deploy and evolve the 5G core. AI enhances 5G-Advanced capabilities, while the core must be open and intelligent enough to support new services and devices. Agentic AI extends this further, enabling autonomous orchestration in increasingly complex network environments.
5G Core investment
T-Mobile US has deployed a cloud-native, converged 5G core (via Cisco) that supports both 5G SA and 4G LTE.
China Mobile runs one of the largest cloud-native 5G SA cores in the world, in partnership with ZTE.
KT is one of the early adopters of 5G SA using Samsung’s core.
Singtel has deployed Ericsson’s dual-mode (4G + 5G) cloud-native core to launch 5G SA. Their transition allowed simultaneous support for legacy traffic and 5G SA services, improving efficiency and flexibility.
Rogers launched 5G SA network using Ericsson’s dual-mode core. Through this setup, they gain better programmability, operational efficiency, and resource optimization.
Ooredoo is using Nokia’s 5G standalone core to implement network slicing and generate enterprise revenue. This core modernization helps Ooredoo support advanced services, improving performance and reliability.
Taiwan Mobile has deployed Nokia’s 5G SA core including packet core, IMS, policy, and data management to deliver ultra-reliable, low-latency services (e.g., network slicing and smart city applications).
Boost Mobile has deployed Nokia’s cloud-native 5G Voice Core (Cloud Native Communication Suite) on a public cloud. This helped reduce infrastructure costs (Nokia says by ~70 percent), improve automation, and deploy new 5G voice services more quickly.
2degrees New Zealand signed a deal with Nokia to use their containerized Cloud Native Communication Suite (CNCS) for 5G. With CNCS, 2degrees can unify multiple voice-core functions, automate operations, and bring new services faster.
Telia plans to deploy Nokia’s cloud-native 5G SA core across its operations in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, and Lithuania. Through this rollout, Telia expects improved network scalability and more automated, flexible service delivery.
The 5G Core Summit in Bangkok on 26 November offers a unique view into how telecom operators are modernising their core networks, what challenges they face, and how emerging technologies are reshaping deployment priorities in 2025, Pablo Iacopino, Head of Research and Commercial Content at GSMA Intelligence, said in a blog post.
At the 5G Core Summit, the discussions will reveal how operators are addressing these interconnected challenges while preparing for a future defined by AI-native architectures, service innovation and differentiated user experiences. The next phase of 5G growth will be powered not just by faster radios, but by a smarter, more open and more distributed 5G core.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
