NOTAS: | "5G was launched with great fanfare in 2019 as the next-generation technology, boasting new capabilities and features to address a broad base of use cases that 4G LTE could not support. Industry watchers expected that 5G would take Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to new heights in revenue generation. However, the path to 5G took a detour that spun off a network architecture called 5G Non-Standalone (5G NSA). 5G NSA is anchored to the legacy 4G Evolved Packet Core, and it is not true 5G. The true iteration of 5G is anchored to a 5G Core and is called 5G Standalone (5G SA). The 5G Core is the key to monetizing the 5G SA network bringing MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) into the modern cloud era, allowing the MNO to (1) offer new services quickly with Cloud-Native Network Functions, (2) add Network Slices on demand for mobile private networks, and (3) address latency-sensitive applications with MEC. These new opportunities cannot be addressed by 4G or 5G NSA networks, and the sooner an MNO embraces 5G SA networking, the closer it will be to reaping new revenue streams." |