India Maintains Steady 5G Standalone Footprint as Global Adoption and Performance Gains Accelerate: Ookla Report

India’s standalone 5G footprint has remained stable even as global adoption of 5G Standalone (SA) networks continues to expand, according to the second edition of “A Global Reality Check on 5G SA and 5G Advanced.” The report, published by Ookla in collaboration with Omdia, examines worldwide deployment trends, network performance, and monetization strategies shaping the next phase of 5G evolution.

Drawing on global Speedtest intelligence, voice performance studies, and network usage analytics, the findings suggest that 5G SA has transitioned from headline-grabbing launches to an execution-focused deployment era—where spectrum depth, carrier aggregation, and end-to-end optimization determine real-world performance.

Global 5G SA Adoption: Moving Into an Execution Phase

By the end of the year, global 5G SA sample share reached 17.6%, up from 16.2% a year earlier. The median standalone download speed stood at 269.51 Mbps, representing a 52% performance premium over non-standalone (NSA) networks.

However, regional variations remain pronounced, reflecting differences in spectrum allocation policies, infrastructure maturity, and investment levels.

@ookla

Regional Performance Leaders

GCC and UAE: The Gulf Cooperation Council region recorded the fastest 5G SA speeds globally, with the UAE surpassing 1 Gbps median download speeds. Aggressive spectrum deployment, four-carrier aggregation, and enhanced MIMO configurations contributed to this leadership.

South Korea: Leveraging wide 3.5 GHz channels, South Korea delivered strong median SA speeds of 767 Mbps.

United States: Following completion of major Tier-1 standalone deployments, median SA speeds reached 404 Mbps.

Europe: Adoption remains gradual. While sample share improved modestly, countries such as Austria, Spain, the UK, and France are emerging as early movers within the region.

Asia-Pacific: China continues to dominate in SA penetration, supported by a rapidly growing base of 5G Advanced subscribers. Singapore also demonstrates strong adoption, while Hong Kong and Japan show incremental progress.

North America: SA adoption accelerated significantly over the past two years, signaling broader operator commitment to standalone architecture.

Overall, markets with coordinated regulatory frameworks and spectrum clarity consistently outperform fragmented environments, underscoring the policy dimension of 5G competitiveness.

5G Standalone in India: Steady but Limited Expansion

India’s 5G SA footprint has remained largely stable over the past two years. Deployment momentum has primarily been driven by Reliance Jio, which launched a nationwide standalone network early in the 5G cycle.

However, expansion beyond this rollout has been limited. While urban centers in India demonstrate strong throughput performance, cloud latency and overall quality of experience vary significantly across regions. This highlights a broader industry reality: standalone core migration alone does not automatically translate into superior end-user performance.

Instead, factors such as backbone capacity, peering density, fiber infrastructure, and spectrum depth play a decisive role in determining user experience.

Performance and Quality of Experience: Beyond Raw Speeds

The report emphasizes that 5G SA networks offer measurable improvements over NSA deployments—but only when supported by comprehensive optimization strategies.

Latency Improvements

Globally, standalone networks reduce multi-server latency by more than 6% compared to NSA networks. Lower latency improves real-time applications such as cloud gaming, video conferencing, and augmented reality services.

North America reported particularly low latency due to dense proximity to hyperscaler cloud infrastructure.

In Europe:

France achieved cloud endpoint latency of 41 ms.

Austria recorded 48 ms.

Finland delivered 50 ms.

These figures demonstrate how ecosystem density and peering relationships significantly influence network performance.

Battery Life Gains

One of the lesser-discussed advantages of 5G SA is energy efficiency. Devices operating on standalone networks in the UK showed notably longer median battery discharge times compared to NSA equivalents. This suggests that optimized standalone cores can reduce signaling overhead and improve power management.

Monetization: From Speed Tiers to Network Slicing

As standalone networks mature, operators are shifting focus from coverage expansion to revenue generation.

Consumer Monetization

Operators are introducing differentiated pricing strategies and service tiers:

Speed-based packages across Europe.

Network slicing offerings in Singapore, France, and the United States.

5G Advanced segmentation models in China.

These approaches allow carriers to charge premiums for guaranteed performance or priority access.

Enterprise Opportunities

Enterprise monetization is gaining traction through Service Level Agreement (SLA)-based slicing and secure private network solutions. In the U.S., T-Mobile’s SuperMobile initiative marks one of the first nationwide business-focused slicing services, signaling broader B2B potential.

Globally, investment in 5G core software is projected to grow at a steady compound rate through the end of the decade. Core networks now account for more than 60% of overall 5G software spending, reflecting the strategic importance of software-defined infrastructure.

Case Studies: 5G Advanced in Action

HUAWEI and du: Indoor 5G Advanced in the UAE

In September 2024, Huawei partnered with du to launch the Middle East’s first commercial indoor 5G Advanced deployment.

Using the LampSite X solution, the network supports multi-carrier aggregation and both millimeter-wave and sub-6 GHz bands, delivering peak speeds exceeding 5 Gbps. The deployment illustrates how indoor densification is becoming a critical differentiator in next-generation networks.

Orange: Dedicated 5G Bandwidth for Business

In early 2025, Orange launched a 5G+ enterprise service offering dedicated bandwidth, VoNR support, enhanced encryption, and low-latency slicing. The initiative underscores how European operators are increasingly targeting premium B2B connectivity markets.

Outlook: From Coverage to Capability

According to Ookla’s analysis, 5G SA has entered a new phase defined by capability rather than simple coverage metrics.

Operators that combine:

Rich and contiguous spectrum holdings

Advanced carrier aggregation

Dense fiber backhaul

End-to-end network optimization

are achieving measurable improvements in speed, latency, battery efficiency, and monetization outcomes.

For India, maintaining a steady standalone footprint provides a foundation for further innovation. However, deeper investment in core networks, peering infrastructure, and advanced slicing capabilities will be essential to unlock the full economic potential of 5G.

Looking ahead, regulatory alignment, sustained capital expenditure, and strategic ecosystem partnerships will shape global digital competitiveness. As 5G Advanced matures and early research into 6G accelerates, standalone architecture will serve as the cornerstone of the next generation of wireless connectivity.

Source @ ookla

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