If Verizon and AT&T don't speed up, the US will hand Europe the 5G SA crown

For once, Europe may be ahead of the US. We told you how US users might enjoy 6G before those on the Old Continent, but as far as SA 5G (Standalone 5G) goes, things are different. US carriers need to step up!

We often talk about Standalone 5G here – and currently, it's only T-Mobile that offers it to its customers in the US. Think of SA 5G as the full version of 5G that works on its own network, built from the ground up, while regular 5G – often called non-standalone 5G (NSA) – still relies on older 4G infrastructure.

With SA 5G, everything runs on the newer, faster 5G tech, which means lower lag, better reliability, and the ability to support more advanced features like smart factories or self-driving cars. Regular 5G is mainly about fast download speeds but doesn't offer the full benefits of 5G's potential.



There's a recent report from research company Dell'Oro Group that's focused on the global rollout of standalone 5G (SA 5G) and how it's starting to pick up speed. According to the findings, this shift could lead to faster growth in the mobile network market, with the potential to expand even more as new technologies like generative AI and intelligent digital assistants demand constant, low-delay connections.

The report estimates that 70 mobile network operators (MNOs) across 39 countries have now deployed SA 5G. In 2025 alone, five new networks went live, including Orange in France, Romania, and Slovakia; Vodafone in Spain; and O2 in the Czech Republic. Dell'Oro also broke down the current numbers by region: five networks in North America, 26 in Europe, seven in the Middle East and Africa, 13 in Northeast Asia, 13 in Southeast Asia, and six in Latin America.



So far, many of these carriers are using SA 5G mainly for businesses and for Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) – a type of internet service that uses 5G instead of traditional cables to deliver home internet. However, Dell'Oro expects that more mobile providers will soon start offering SA 5G directly to regular consumers.

In the United States, Verizon has suggested it has a nationwide SA 5G network already in place, pointing to its support for emergency response services that require strong, reliable coverage. Verizon didn't comment for Fierce Network on which companies are currently using its new 5G tools, like the ability to customize parts of the network for specific tasks (a concept known as network slicing).

AT&T's progress is less clear. Dell'Oro and reporters have asked the company how far its SA 5G network reaches, but no specific details have been shared yet.

Be it as it may, the good news is that more updates are expected as US carriers continue to expand and clarify their standalone 5G rollouts: the future is coming.

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