5G Standalone gains momentum, moving towards slicing monetization

5G Standalone (SA) is ever more important as the complexity of networks and the volume of data traffic keep growing, stated Adriana Garrido, Head of Cloud Software and Services at Ericsson in this video interview. She said 5G SA’s use of automation is foundational to managing complexity, improved energy efficiency and better customer service – and all while reducing the total cost of ownership.

She noted that the take-up rate for 5G SA is accelerating, with about 90 CSPs having now deployed Standalone globally. This is 30 more than the same time last year, with India and Singapore as the clear front runners in Asia.

The technology is enabling many, diverse applications. Garrido gave examples and pointed out that although they are very different, in all cases, differentiated connectivity delivers value to the operator and its customers. She urged, “Every CSP will have a different starting point and…you just need to start climbing that ladder [towards Levels 4 and 5], one step by one step, then enabling new use cases every time”.