Despite the growing skepticism surrounding 5G in the tech world and the forward-looking hype around 6G—which Fierce reminds us is still six years away—6G will heavily rely on key 5G standalone (5G SA) technology.
For years, operators have voiced concerns over the high costs of implementing 5G SA. Carrier executives have expressed to Fierce that they don’t want to face the same capital expenditure challenges with 6G. As a result, the new 6G standard will utilize the 5G core to manage network traffic, user authentication, and other critical functions.
“It will be the same core network for 5G and 6G, and 6G will only come with the [5G standalone] option, there will be no [other] option for 6G,” said Peter Linder, head of thought leadership in North America at Ericsson, during a company event in Boston. He emphasized, “The sooner you get to SA in the core, the sooner you get to 6G.”
The 5G Core: Foundation for 6G
However, there’s a challenge. Outside of China, few operators have fully transitioned to nationwide 5G SA. Currently, China is the only country that has fully adopted 5G SA.
At the same Ericsson event, Joe Madden, principal analyst at Mobile Experts, pointed out that in the U.S., only T-Mobile has deployed 5G SA nationwide. AT&T and Verizon have limited 5G SA coverage, still relying on a 5G radio access network (RAN) paired with a 4G non-standalone (NSA) core to manage data sessions and user connections. This reliance on NSA 5G means that many operators are not positioned to move to 6G or even advance to the next 5G standard.
This dependency on 4G-based NSA 5G is even more prevalent in Europe and parts of Asia, except for China.
5G Network Slicing
Crucial 5G services, such as network slicing—which allows operators to allocate specific bandwidth for dedicated tasks—require a 5G core. T-Mobile has begun deploying network slicing at major sporting events, and Verizon has conducted network slicing tests for first responders in Arizona.
Without a complete shift to 5G SA, many operators will struggle to unlock the full potential of 5G and lay the groundwork for 6G.
