GSA data shows only 98 operators run commercial 5G standalone
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The gist
Industry body GSA reports more than 390 operators have launched 5G, but only 98 offer standalone as of October 2026.
The slower standalone rollout limits features like network slicing and RedCap.
Background
The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) is an industry body whose data tracks 5G network launches, including standalone (SA), RedCap, fixed wireless access (FWA) and 5G-Advanced. 5G is now a fixture of the global mobile market, but the shift to 5G standalone — networks built on a 5G core rather than reusing a 4G core — is moving more slowly, with many operators still running non-standalone networks. The figures come as vendors and operators push newer 5G features, from AI-RAN trials to RedCap and 5G-Advanced launches.
How it unfolded
- Oct 21, 2026Virgin Media O2 announces its O2 5G+ standalone service across Cumbria, covering Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, Workington and Ulverston, with more than 219,000 people said to benefit.
- Oct 21, 2026BT/EE confirms AI-RAN trials with Nokia and Nvidia and bolsters its 5G Standalone footprint, including its first 2.8Gbps microwave link, 40 percent more capacity than its previous 2Gbps benchmark.
- Oct 22, 2026Nokia and NVIDIA push AI-RAN into live 5G networks; nine operators across Europe, the Middle East and Africa are building or expanding NVIDIA-powered infrastructure.
- Oct 23, 2026GSA data reported: more than 390 operators have launched commercial 5G networks, but only 98 had launched 5G SA services as of October 2026.
- Oct 23, 2026GSA data: 17 operators had launched RedCap services as of September 2026, with Bharti Airtel in India and Telkomsel in Indonesia now deploying 5G RedCap.
- Oct 23, 2026GSA data: 276 operators have launched 5G FWA services, with Europe leading at 108 unique operators; 41 operators were investing in 5G-Advanced and 19 had launched a service.
- Oct 23, 2026Mexico's first industrial 5G spectrum auction opens, a step toward private wireless networks for manufacturing, logistics and automation.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- GSA research analyst Vaishali Purohit says standalone deployment remains a subset of the wider 5G market, with considerable opportunity for further deployment.
- Caution
- Purohit says the shift from a 4G to a 5G core brings costs and troubleshooting needs, and that it is a transition that takes time.
- Support
- Purohit says SA is important because it allows features like network slicing and RedCap, though for now it remains a smaller part of the market.