The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has recently revealed that it has completed the Standalone (SA) version of the 5G New Radio (NR) specification at a meeting held in La Jolla in California. Some may remember that back in December of last year, the Non-Standalone (NSA) version of the 5G NR standard had already acquired approval. The SA component of the 5G NR standard should serve as guide to the independent roll out, while the NSA part leverages the legacy LTE core network.
As pointed out by the 3GPP through its official press release, the over 600 delegates from wireless carriers, network, terminals and chip set suppliers, Internet companies, and other vertical industry companies have witnessed this milestone in the 5G era. Balazs Bertenyi, the chairman of 3GPP TSG RAN, the completion of the standalone version of the 5G NR standard not only paves the way for even faster broadband speeds and expanded capacity, it also encourages new industries (outside of telecoms) to embrace the spec as they integrate 5G into their respective sectors. These words were echoed by Erik Guttman, the chairman of 3GPP TSG SA, and he further made special mention of the various committees that have contributed to the approval of the SA version of the 5G NR spec.
Of course, the road ahead is still a long one. According to SRG Research and Consulting Services, Option 2 and Option 3 of the standards may have already been completed, there is still major work to be done for the Release 15. And the next steps will no doubt require more attention to detail than ever.
Still, for those who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the 5G era, this latest development should still cause excitement. And it is not just tech enthusiasts who are showing some enthusiasm -- the Big Four carriers in the United States (namely Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint) are all racing to be the first mobile operator to launch a true 5G offering. One benefit of the completion of the standalone version of the 5G NR standard is that it helps guide carriers, especially in the fine tuning of their ongoing trials in preparation for the commercial debut of their respective 5G networks. But looking at the bigger picture, phone makers, mobile component manufacturers, and even network equipment vendors will all have to get with the program in order to effectively usher in a true 5G driven world.
