| NOTAS: | "Establishing an interim, nonstandalone mode for 5G New Radio (NSA 5GNR) has helped ensure that the communications industry is working toward a single, global standard for 5G. By anchoring 5GNR implementations to LTE for the control plane and core network, operator trials and early commercial deployments can take place within a future-proof standards framework. And, the accelerated workplan announced by 3GPP in March will further ensure that the standard is available in time for those operators that want to push ahead with early deployments of 3GPP Release 15. While not immediately apparent, there are also benefits from NSA 5GNR for operators planning to launch 5G from 2020 onward, although Ovum has not found any evidence that those operators are rushing to bring forward their launch schedules. In the medium term, only standalone 5G can support the full range of use cases envisioned for 5G." |
