This week’s 5G developments showcase significant momentum in standalone 5G deployments, network infrastructure expansion, and satellite connectivity innovations. Major carriers are accelerating their 5G SA rollouts, driven by cloud-native maturity and AI demands, whilst satellite operators are pushing boundaries with direct-to-device capabilities. The industry is also witnessing substantial network sharing initiatives and infrastructure investments aimed at improving coverage and capacity across multiple markets.
The transition to standalone 5G (5G SA) is accelerating globally, with operators across Europe, Japan, Latin America, the UK, and the US lighting up pure 5G SA cores. AT&T’s CTO Jeremy Legg revealed that “millions” of subscribers are already on the company’s 5G SA network, marking significant progress beyond their previous “5G SA-ready” status. The shift is being driven by several factors: the maturation of cloud-native architecture making deployments easier, operators’ desire to monetise network investments beyond Fixed Wireless Access services, and the growing demand for AI applications at the edge requiring ultra-low latency.
Industry analysts note that 5G SA is essential for enabling network slicing, Reduced Capability (RedCap) IoT services, and future evolution to 5G-Advanced and 6G. AT&T has already deployed nationwide 5G SA to roll out its RedCap service, whilst Verizon offers a nationwide priority slice for first responders. The technology is also crucial for supporting AI use cases at the edge, with Ericsson highlighting that “penetration of 5G standalone is still limited but is needed to fully support AI use cases at the edge.”
AT&T’s CTO made bold predictions about Open RAN’s future, stating “O-RAN will take the industry, that’s not going to be just us.” The company remains committed to its multi-vendor RAN strategy despite awarding Ericsson a $14 billion contract in 2023. Legg emphasised AT&T’s desire for “multiple radio and antenna providers for a single RAN” and the ability to have virtualised or centralised RAN with different software sets.
The company recently achieved a significant milestone by completing the first Open RAN call using third-party radios at AT&T Labs, in collaboration with Ericsson and 2Finity (a Fujitsu company). Legg cited economics, the desire for open networks, and the eventual acceptance by traditional infrastructure providers as key drivers for AT&T’s Open RAN adoption.
ZTE partnered with DroidUp to demonstrate embodied intelligence capabilities via a 5G-A EasyOn·Robot private network at the 2025 World Robot Conference. The network delivered ultra-high throughput (up to 2 Gbps uplink and 6 Gbps downlink), deterministic RTT latency of ≤10ms, and 99.99% reliability, supporting diverse robotic applications including real-time communication and high-frequency precise motions.
In the satellite sector, AST SpaceMobile reaffirmed its fully funded plan to deploy 45-60 satellites by 2026, aiming to deliver continuous cellular-based broadband service across the US, Europe, Japan, and other strategic markets. The company, which has agreements with nearly 50 mobile network operators covering 2 billion customers, also announced the acquisition of 60 MHz of global S-Band spectrum priority rights for $64.5 million, though some analysts question the spectrum’s strategic value.
VodafoneThree has begun implementing automatic network sharing between Vodafone and Three customers in the UK, following their £16.5 billion merger completed in June 2025. The integration uses multi-operator core network technology and has been activated at over 600 sites, with 9,000 expected within the first year. More than 7 million Three and Smarty customers have already experienced average 4G speed improvements of 20%, with some areas seeing up to 40% improvement.
The combined entity plans to invest £11 billion over 10 years to create “one of Europe’s most advanced 5G networks,” including £1.3 billion in capex in its first year for joint 5G SA deployment. The company aims to eliminate 4G coverage gaps across approximately 16,500 sq. km of the UK and expand 5G availability to 71% of the population by the end of the first year.
Here’s what’s driving steady growth in standalone 5G rollouts
Comprehensive analysis of factors accelerating 5G SA deployments globally, including cloud-native maturity and AI demands
https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/summer-standalone-slight-return
AT&T CTO: Open RAN changes the game, big time
Insights from AT&T’s technology chief on why Open RAN will dominate the industry and the company’s multi-vendor strategy
https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/att-cto-open-ran-changes-game-big-time
AST SpaceMobile readies major satellite expansion, buys S-Band rights
Details on AST SpaceMobile’s ambitious satellite deployment plans and spectrum acquisition strategy
https://www.rcrwireless.com/20250813/network-infrastructure/ast-spacemobile
VodafoneThree boosts coverage by sharing network access
Analysis of the UK’s largest telco merger and its immediate network sharing benefits
https://www.rcrwireless.com/20250812/5g/vodafonethree-sharing
ZTE partners with DroidUp to enable embodied intelligence via 5G-A
Exploration of 5G-Advanced capabilities in supporting robotic and AI applications
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/zte-partners-with-droidup-to-enable-embodied-intelligence-via-5g-a-easyon%C2%B7robot-private-network-at-2025-world-robot-conference/
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