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    5G-Advanced Explained

5G-Advanced explained

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5G Advanced is the next evolution of 5G, enhancing performance, energy efficiency, and intelligence across networks. It builds on existing 5G by enabling advanced features like integrated AI, improved uplink, reduced latency, and support for new use cases such as industrial automation and extended reality.  

A key distinction lies in deployment models: Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G uses existing 4G infrastructure for core operations, offering limited 5G benefits.  

Standalone (SA) 5G uses a dedicated 5G core, unlocking full 5G capabilities such as ultra-low latency and network slicing. 5G Advanced primarily advances SA architecture, paving the way toward 6G-ready infrastructure. 

5G-Advanced: What Comes Next

5G-Advanced is the next major leap in mobile technology. More than just faster speeds, it unlocks a new wave of capabilities and use cases — especially for industries demanding reliability, mobility, and intelligence.

With built-in AI and machine learning, improved energy efficiency, and richer user experiences, 5G-Advanced moves far beyond traditional connectivity.

But what exactly does it change — and how do we get there?

What is the state of the 5G market today?

As of 2025, over 1.6 billion 5G connections have been made worldwide, according to GSMA Intelligence — with coverage extending to more than half of the global population.  

In leading markets such as China, the US, and South Korea, nationwide rollouts are largely complete. In Europe and parts of Southeast Asia, Standalone 5G (SA) is now gaining momentum — unlocking capabilities that go beyond speed alone.  

5G has already become the fastest-adopted mobile technology in history.

Nokia continues to play a central role in this evolution, supporting 5G deployments across more than 100 countries. 

From the 5G Dawn to Today

The Foundations: From Release 15 to Standalone 5G

3GPP’s Release 15 brought us the world’s first 5G New Radio (NR) standard, enabling:

  • Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB)

  • Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC)

  • Massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC)

Initially launched as Non-Standalone (NSA) — relying on 4G LTE for the core — these deployments paved the way for Standalone 5G (SA), where a dedicated 5G Core enables far more advanced services.

Countries like South Korea and the UAE have already launched consumer applications using true 5G capabilities, such as real-time cloud gaming and immersive 4K AR/VR content.

Releases 16 & 17: Laying the Groundwork for Industry 4.0

The next set of 3GPP releases brought significant advances in industrial and enterprise use:

  • Time-Sensitive Communication (TSC)

  • Edge computing and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs)

  • Energy savings and massive MIMO improvements

  • Private 5G and ultra-low latency applications

This expansion gave enterprises in logistics, manufacturing, mining, and healthcare the tools to digitalise their environments — enabling predictive maintenance, smart robotics, and advanced video analytics. 

What It Means for the Future

5G-Advanced represents a transformative shift — not just for mobile networks, but for society.

It brings a richer, more intelligent mobile experience that fuels automation, expands global connectivity, and supports entirely new categories of devices and services.

From drones and smart factories to immersive gaming and responsive transport systems, 5G-Advanced turns promise into progress. 

Introducing 5G-Advanced

Nokia began shaping 5G in 2016 with end-to-end demos, progressing to commercial launches by 2019 with Uruguay’s ANTEL and early Verizon deployments. By 2020, Nokia offered private 5G networks and, in 2022, helped launch the first commercial standalone 5G with slicing. 

The next evolution, 5G Advanced, started with 3GPP Release 18 in 2022. Nokia contributed to standardization and showcased vision through trials. 

In February 2025, it launched the world’s first commercial 5G-Advanced network with Elisa in Finland. This marked the transition to a new era of connectivity, with enhanced capacity, energy efficiency, AI integration, and support for future 6G foundations.

Nokia sees 5G-Advanced through four key lenses: 

Experience

Improved uplink performance, lower latency, and immersive Extended Reality (XR). Think: flawless AR, VR, and high-fidelity video experiences

Expansion

Sub-10cm precision positioning and time synchronisation for real-time industrial use cases, autonomous systems, and financial transactions. 

Extension

Extending coverage to rural and remote areas, enhancing IoT at scale, and integrating drones and satellite-based networks.  

Excellence

Smarter operations powered by AI/ML, better energy use, wireline-wireless convergence, and increased network resiliency.

5G Advanced isn’t just an upgrade - it’s a leap toward smarter, faster, and more responsive networks. With enhanced AI, energy efficiency, and ultra-reliable connectivity, it’s unlocking new possibilities across every sector.

5G Advanced powers autonomous transport, drone logistics, and AI-optimised traffic, while transforming healthcare through remote surgery, AR-assisted care, and real-time monitoring. Smart cities benefit from intelligent infrastructure, and enterprises gain secure, high-performance private networks.

Some of the key advancements include: