Mobile Network Operators Have Given Us '4.5G': Consultant
Rather than 5G, most mobile network operators (MNO) offer "4.5G" and call it 5G, consultant William Webb wrote Wednesday. Most MNO use 5G non-stand-alone (NSA) networks, which offer the existing 4G core network instead of a dedicated 5G core network…
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like 5G stand-alone (SA) networks use, he said. There are no signs of widespread moves to SA networks, he said. Most MNOs have deployed 5G radio access networks on existing cells, rather than building much denser networks. And 5G hasn't changed the services networks offer or material aspects of the MNO business, with one exception being the U.S. and fixed wireless access, he said. As such, people working on 6G should consider that the starting point is 4.5G. If some MNOs don't adopt SA, 6G should be able to work with NSA, he said. Base station density won't be higher, so new frequency bands will have to work with the existing grid structure.