What is SA?
5G Standalone (SA) is the target, fully autonomous 5G architecture where the 5G NR radio (gNB) connects directly and exclusively to the 5G Core (5GC), without any dependency on 4G LTE infrastructure. SA unlocks the complete portfolio of 5G capabilities that NSA cannot deliver: network slicing, sub-1 ms uRLLC latency, full 5GC features, and native support for all three IMT-2020 use cases.
How Does SA Work?
In SA (3GPP Option 2), the gNB connects to the AMF (N2 interface, NGAP protocol) for all control plane signalling, and to the UPF (N3 interface, GTP-U) for user plane data. All session management, policy, authentication, and slice selection run on 5GC functions. SA requires a fully deployed 5GC, which is more complex than reusing the existing 4G EPC (as NSA does).
Use Cases
Enterprise private 5G networks requiring slicing and guaranteed SLAs, uRLLC mission-critical deployments, full network slicing for multiple industry verticals, Voice over NR (VoNR).
3GPP / Standards Reference
3GPP TS 23.501 (Option 2: Standalone Architecture), Release 15
Related Terms
NSA | 5G | gNB | Network Slicing | uRLLC | AMF
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This glossary entry is part of the 5GWorldPro Complete 5G Glossary. To go deeper into 5G architecture and technology, explore our 5G Training courses.
