5G standalone (5G SA) and 5G non-standalone (5G NSA) are 2 types of network infrastructure.
For operators with an existing 4G LTE network, it is easier to start with 5G non-standalone (5G NSA). For this purpose, these operators use new 5G radio equipment, which they however lay over the existing 4G LTE infrastructure. This allows operators to offer 5G services faster and more cheaply, but a 5G NSA network is subject to the limitations of 4G LTE. Users enjoy a higher data rate, although 5G NSA does not allow access to certain 5G benefits that require the dedicated 5G core that is provided in 5G standalone (5G SA).
In the case of 5G SA, the operator rolls out a completely new 5G network that is entirely separate from its existing 4G infrastructure. 5G SA is a true 5G network, with 5G radios and a 5G core, that fully realizes the promised benefits of 5G. Unlike 5G NSA, 5G SA supports:
- higher speeds,
- applications that require ultra-low latency (e.g. real-time operation of robotic equipment in a warehouse or plant),
- very high density applications (up to 1 million terminal devices within one square kilometre),
- better security,
- network slicing, a deployment mode that allows different devices and customers to get dedicated network partitions with specified performance guarantees, such as minimum and maximum throughput rates.
For ordinary consumer applications, 5G SA is less necessary. Therefore, the typical user will often not notice whether the network is a 5G SA or a 5G NSA.