ATIS Charts the Course for North American 5G Standalone Deployment
WASHINGTON, June 4, 2026 — New white paper identifies priority use cases, deployment gaps, and the role of AI-driven automation.
ATIS today released Accelerating North American 5G Standalone Deployment: Modernization, Monetization, and Intent-Based AI, a white paper examining the current state of 5G Standalone (SA) deployment in North America and offering recommendations for operators, device OEMs, application developers, and standards bodies.
5G SA refers to a cellular network infrastructure that operates independently of 4G LTE using a dedicated 5G core. While 5G SA enables capabilities such as dynamic network slicing, lower latency, and dedicated 5G core functions, deployment in North America has progressed more slowly than anticipated. Contributing factors include limited dedicated spectrum, the lower cost of upgrading existing LTE Non-Standalone infrastructure, and a still-maturing ecosystem for certain advanced capabilities.
Accelerating North American 5G Standalone Deployment outlines a practical near-term path forward, focusing on targeted use cases where 5G SA features can deliver measurable business and operational value.
“ATIS is helping move the industry from planning to execution when it comes to 5G Standalone deployment, and this white paper helps align stakeholders around where the greatest value exists today,” said ATIS President and CEO Susan Miller. “By offering a coordinated set of actions across the ecosystem, from RAN performance to intent-based automation, this work is designed to advance sustainable commercial outcomes for 5G SA while laying the foundation for 6G innovation.”
Developed by the ATIS Technology and Operations Council, the white paper addresses deployment barriers, priority use cases, AI-driven network automation, and actionable recommendations for accelerating adoption.
