Global mobile operator survey reveals operators’ plans for 5G SA, edge deployments and a common network data layer
37 percent of mobile operators say they will begin deploying 5G standalone (SA) within the next two years, according to a new worldwide survey of 41 mobile operators released by Enea. The report reveals how operators are addressing 5G architecture, edge deployment, and a network data layer.
The survey shows that 27 percent of operators will deploy 5G SA within 12-18 months with a further 10 percent within 24 months. With the maturity of 3GPP standards, such as the Release 16 freeze in March 2020, operators now see a clear path to 5G SA infrastructure. The overall timeline is supported by a total of 49 percent of operators who plan to deploy 5G SA within the next four years.
Analysis shows that operators choose different strategies when it comes to the edge. 85 percent of operators are planning edge deployments at some point, but more than half of the operators in the survey have no strategy for doing so. 32 percent are going only with limited, specific use cases such as smart factories, smart cities, or retail, while others are holding off until the business case for edge deployment becomes more viable.
“Operators are beginning to firm up plans for how they will implement flexible, multi-vendor service architectures that enable them to deploy and monetize their 5G networks and differentiate their services” said Sue Rudd, Director, Networks and Service Platforms, Strategy Analytics. “The survey indicates that several operators have figured out how to deploy SA in the next couple of years. This could be as ‘islands’ of 5G radio access with a 5G SA core for special services, starting late 2021.”
