The 5G standard is passé. Fortunately, there is already a successor – 5G SA

Traffic in fifth generation (5G) mobile networks is growing faster than expected. In the first quarter of 2026, there were 162 million new 5G subscriptions, making a total of 3.1 billion – this is data from the Ericsson Mobility Report, which forecasts that by the end of 2031 there will be 6.4 billion of them.

At the end of 2025, 5G was supported by 48%. mobile data traffic, and by 2031 it will be responsible for 85%. – according to the same report. In the meantime, a new data transmission standard – 5G Standalone – will enter the market smoothly.

Let’s enjoy the 5G network. It can go away very quickly

5G has become the basis for modern services. Thanks to this generation of mobile telephony, we use movie streaming, advanced industrial systems, smart city (real-time traffic management and city lighting control), 8K resolution, cloud gaming and virtual reality. This network can accommodate many more devices than a 4G network – up to one million per square kilometer.

But telecoms don’t sleep. Although it works on the market approximately 390 commercial 5G networksthen over 90 operators have already launched the latest generation standard – 5G Standalone.

This generation of networks is not yet operational in Poland, but there are preparations for testing and certification. National 5G operates in the C band (3.4-3.8 GHz). Smartphones connect to new 5G base stations at the radio layer, but the core of the network is still based on older LTE technology. What lies ahead?

5G Standalone may have a short lifespan. The industry is constantly working

The 5G SA network is richer in cloud infrastructure for both the radio and backbone layers. It will completely eliminate and replace LTE servers. It enables efficient operation of up to one million devices per square kilometer. It also allows for “net slicing”, i.e separation of virtual “slices” with specific parameters: super-stable and safe for factories or hospitals.

What does all this mean for the smartphone user? Lower energy consumption, i.e. operation on one battery charge. This is new for business premium services and new AI applications – autonomous vehicles and remote medicine are entering the scene in all their glory.

However, the Ericsson Mobility report shows that in the world Standardization work on 6G technology is already underwayand the first ready specifications may appear at the end of 2028 or at the beginning of 2029. The market expects commercial 6G services in just over three years – in 2030.