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What's next for 5G in 2022 and beyond?

From Standalone networks to satellite comms.

By Robert Triggs • June 5, 2022

Robert Triggs / Android Authority

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Depending on who you ask, 5G is either the building block of a major shift in mobile networking or verging on
a pointless and overly expensive upgrade. Despite the range of opinions, the industry is pressing ahead with
improvements to the standard set to roll out in the coming months and years.

With 5G now rmly embedded in a good portion of the world’s networks, if still somewhat regionally limited,
what can we expect from the next stage of the standard’s development and rollout? Let’s dive in.

5G in 2022 — the hunt for even more spectrum

Following 5G developments isn’t a straightforward business; it takes a long time to revise, nalize, and
implement the 3GPP Releases that make up the building blocks of networks and connected devices. Broadly
speaking, though, we’re at the stage where the fundamental technical aspects are mostly set in stone and fall
under 5G New Radio (Release 15) in 2018. This includes technologies you may be familiar with, such as
mmWave and sub-6GHz frequency bands, beamforming, and the use of MIMO, all of which form the
backbone of the rst-gen 5G networks in use today. Upcoming and future releases are mostly, but not
exclusively, focused on network feature enhancements.

Read more: The best 5G phones you can buy

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Release 16, the next step on the 5G journey, was nalized in late 2020. Its major contributions to the
standard include support for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, prioritization of enhanced mobile
broadband (eMBB) and low-latency (URLLC) tra c, and unlicensed spectrum. 5G New Radio Unlicensed (NR-
U) in the 6GHz band is seen as a key development for opening up even more spectrum, enabling carriers to
greatly increase their 5G network capacity and speeds without reliance on costly mmWave.

Unlicensed spectrum tests are expected

later in 2022.
However, unlicensed spectrum isn’t the free-for-all the name implies — there are regulatory and interference
issues to overcome before carriers can deploy in these bands. The EU, South Korea, and the US have opened
up the 6GHz region for use with outdoor networks, with some caveats such as automated frequency
coordination (AFC) requirements in the US. T-Mobile is looking to test unlicensed 6GHz spectrum in 2022, so
expect this to become a feature of many more networks once we enter 2023.

Read more: What is Wi-Fi 6E and unlicensed 6GHz spectrum?

What is 5G Advanced?
Kris Carlon / Android Authority

Release 17, which reached “functional freeze” in March 2022, is more ambitious from a feature perspective.
On the hardware side, the revision aims to extend battery life for mobile devices, enhance features for MIMO
coverage and URLLC, and scale mmWave spectrum to support between 52.6 and 71GHz and the 60Hz
unlicensed band. Once again, the hunt for more bandwidth is a key component of the 5G roadmap.

The upcoming release also introduces a new class of NR-Light 5G devices, which support scaled-down
bandwidth and antenna requirements for low-power gadgets like wearables, sensors, video cameras, and
more. There’s also support for satellite-backed communication, expanded multicast features, and
centimeter-level location accuracy for industrial applications where high-precision, on-site tracking is
required. Satellite-based comms (5G NTN) are likely to be used to expand network coverage beyond the
typical cell edge and to previously unreachable locations, as well as to provide blanket coverage for IoT
projects. Combined with much greater bandwidth and side-link expansions, Release 17 is shaping up to
support a wider range of use cases than what we’ve seen from 5G in 2022.

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Future 5G networks will support satellite

communication and new 'NR-Light' IoT
devices.
However, given that this speci cation will only be nalized in mid-2022, these improvements won’t be making
their way to networks for at least a couple of years yet.

5G dangers: mmWave myths debunked

3GPP development is a forward-looking process and Release 18, aka 5G Advanced, is already on the horizon,
even though the nal release isn’t anticipated until sometime in late 2023/ early 2024.

Early-stage discussions suggest that 5G Advanced could embrace AI/machine learning to improve e ciency
throughout the RAN, core, and management domains that support the 5G network. The standard could also
advance support for 5G satellites communication for hard-to-reach locations and mass IoT coverage, move
to Sub-band Full-Duplex (SBFD) for improved latency and uplink capacity, and add multi-SIM support with
seamless switching, among many other initiatives. That said, there’s a long way to go before the speci cation
is nalized, so a lot could change between now and then.

Standalone is on the horizon

Speci cations are ne, but deployment in the eld matters most for consumers and businesses. 5G in 2022
primarily consists of Non-Standalone (NSA) networks, meaning they’re using the existing 4G LTE core to
manage the network while boosting speeds with a 5G data pipe. With deployments now well established,
carriers are beginning look to Standalone (SA) 5G network types to deliver on many of 5G’s (so far) absent
promises.

Read more: 5G Standalone vs Non-Standalone explained

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Vodafone Germany is ipping its 5G SA switch in Bonn and plans to move over entirely by 2025. The kingdom
of Bahrain also has its SA network online through operator STC Bahrain. In the UK, EE is planning to enable
Standalone services by 2023. Turning to the US, T-Mobile has already begun transitioning its network over.
Verizon is looking to progress towards a 5G core later in 2022, while AT&T has no commitments and will
transition “when the ecosystem is ready,” whatever that means. Many of today’s smartphones already
support 5G SA, although AT&T did note battery life concerns as one possible reason to delay.

Carriers are gradually moving to 5G

Standalone in 2022/2023.
What does this shift to 5G Standalone mean for users? From the smartphone user’s perspective, not a lot.

Moving from NSA to SA won’t automatically balloon your 5G speeds, at least not without introducing
additional bandwidth at the same time. Furthermore, you’ll need a handset compatible with Standalone to
even make the switch. Fortunately, most 5G handsets sold in the last year or two support NSA and SA, and
carriers will continue to support legacy connections for the foreseeable future.

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Instead, moving to a 5G-only core allows carriers to introduce new use cases to their networks. Removing the
old LTE core bottlenecks opens the door to ultra-low latency devices, big data applications like mass IoT
communication, and advanced network slicing for service providers. Although mobile users may bene t from
lower latency and a slight boost in bandwidth too, we’re more likely to see the bene ts of 5G Standalone in
terms of new services that appear alongside the traditional smartphone experience. In the immediate future
then, 5G doesn’t seem all that exciting, but perhaps the longer-term picture is more promising?

The best 5G plans in the US: Which carrier is right for you?

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