Understanding 5G Standalone (SA): The Next Generation of Connectivity

5G Standalone (5G SA) is reshaping mobile networks. It offers faster speeds, reliable connections, and more flexibility for consumers and businesses. But what exactly is 5G SA, and how does it differ from earlier mobile networks? 

Introduction to 5G Standalone

Key Differences of 5G Non-Standalone and 5G Standalone

• 5G Non-Standalone (5G NSA): Uses 5G radio technology combined with an existing 4G core network. This allowed providers to quickly deploy faster speeds by building upon existing 4G infrastructure. However, NSA 5G relies on the 4G network for key control functions. Because of this, it cannot provide the ultra-low latency and advanced features of true standalone 5G.
  
  In short, NSA 5G radios still rely on 4G networks for critical signaling, limiting their full capabilities.

   

• 5G Standalone: Works on both 5G radio access and a dedicated 5G core network. This setup allows for the full use of 5G. It supports smart factories, self-driving cars, and millions of connected sensors. With its dedicated 5G core, 5G SA achieves true latencies under 10 ms and can handle far more devices at once than NSA 5G. 5G SA is a complete and independent version of 5G that fully realizes the technology’s potential.
  

Benefits of 5G SA

• Enhanced Speed: 5G can deliver speeds of several gigabytes per second, far faster than 4G. In the best conditions, it can reach up to 10 gigabytes per second. Even regular speeds are much faster than LTE. This high capacity supports advanced use cases like high-definition video streaming, real-time video surveillance, remote surgical training in healthcare, and video analytics processed at the edge.
  
  
• Lower Latency: 5G SA reduces latency to under 10 milliseconds, making responses feel almost instant. This low delay is important for real-time tasks. These tasks include remote surgery, self-driving cars, and industrial robots. Where even small delays can cause problems. Because it doesn’t rely on a 4G core, 5G SA can achieve the sub-10 ms latency needed for these critical applications.

• Increased Capacity: The 5G SA network can support up to 1 million devices in one square kilometer. This is ten times more than 4G can handle. 
  This large capacity is perfect for busy places like stadiums, city centers, or areas with many IoT devices. It ensures that smartphones, sensors, and smart devices can all stay connected without slowing down the network. 
  
  
• Flexible Slicing: This allows the network to be divided into parts. Each part is set up for different purposes and performance needs. Each slice operates independently, with tailored service levels. 
  
  

Enhanced Security Features

5G Standalone (SA) adds much stronger security compared to older networks and 5G NSA.  It has a new core designed for modern security. This provides better protection for user data and the network. 

• Stronger Encryption and Verification 5G SA uses improved encryption and login methods to keep communications secure. Devices and the network can encrypt all signaling while both sides verify each other’s identity. Even a user's permanent ID (SUPI) is never sent in plain text. Instead, it's encrypted into a SUCI before transmission, preventing attackers from intercepting or tracking user identities.
  
  

• Secure Network Slices: Network slicing in 5G SA isn’t just for performance, it also improves security. Each slice works as its own isolated network. This means sensitive services like healthcare or finance can run on a protected slice, separate from public internet traffic. 
  
  
• AI-Based Threat Detection: Many 5G SA networks use AI to spot unusual activity that could signal a cyberattack. The system can react in real time, detecting and stopping threats faster than humans can.
  
  Overall, 5G SA offers end-to-end encryption, better identity protection, and isolated secure slices. These features make it a strong choice for industries like finance, healthcare, and government that need high security for their data.
  

Use Case Examples

The capabilities of 5G SA open the door to a wide range of innovative use cases across different industries.

• Smart Cities: A smart city with full 5G SA support can connect and compute more sensors. This makes public safety, energy distribution, and environmental monitoring more efficient. Smart traffic systems can change quickly based on sensor data. This helps cut down traffic jams and speeds up emergency responses.

• Industrial Automation: Factories and warehouses can use 5G SA for reliable, low-latency connections. Robots, automated vehicles, and machines can communicate in under 10 ms. A private 5G SA network can dedicate a slice to critical systems, ensuring commands reach robots and sensors instantly. This allows real-time quality checks, predictive maintenance, and safer operations with AI monitoring.  

• Smart Stadiums: Stadiums can use 5G SA to give fast, high‑capacity internet to tens of thousands of fans. Everyone can stream high quality video, watch AR/VR replays, and use interactive apps without lag.
  
  
• Healthcare: Surgeons can control robots remotely without noticeable lag. Hospitals can connect monitors, smart ambulances, and other devices into one secure, encrypted, and isolated network. The result is improved remote diagnosis, continuous patient monitoring, and real‑time AR guidance in the operating room and in training. 

   

  
  
  

MAVOCO’s Role in Enabling 5G SA 

MAVOCO’s Connectivity Management Platform (CMP) provides comprehensive support for operators and enterprises deploying 5G SA networks. Our solution helps make it easier and faster to adopt 5G SA. It provides strong tools for managing technology and supporting business needs. 

• 5G SA services: We provide support for all native 5G Standalone features for example:

  • SA-ready SIM profiles
  • Network slices
  • DNNs (Data Network Names)
  • QoS templates
    
    
  This allows operators to easily create and activate 5G SA services. For example, they can set up low-latency slices or high-bandwidth IoT plans. They can also deliver these services consistently to all users. 

• Easy connection with 5G core parts: The MAVOCO CMP integrates with important 5G components to manage service setup and billing in real time. It works with elements like the Session Management Function (SMF) and Unified Data Management (UDM), ensuring devices receive the correct policies and configurations. This allows operators to activate services reliably and monitor usage effectively as 5G SA capabilities continue to develop.

• Self-service APIs and Portals: MAVOCO lets enterprises monitor and manage their 5G devices and network resources using easy-to-use portals and APIs. Businesses can see the status of their SIMs, check data usage in real time, and request new slices or QoS changes when needed. They can also automate connectivity management through the API connection. This gives enterprises clear visibility and control, allowing them to quickly adapt 5G connectivity to their needs.
  
  
• Slice-aware resource and billing management: Our platform is built to handle the monetization of network slices and different service tiers. Operators can create pricing models for different slice types or SLAs (for example, a premium low-latency slice for critical applications vs. a standard slice for general use). MAVOCO’s CMP tracks resources and usage per slice, enabling accurate billing and cost allocation for each customer or application. This slice-aware management helps carriers develop new revenue streams from 5G services while ensuring customers only pay for what they need, at the agreed service level.