NSA → SA migration

Migrating from Non-Standalone to Standalone

The NSA-to-SA migration is a multi-year journey that moves 5G from LTE dependency to full independence. Phase 1 (NSA launch): deploy NR cells using existing LTE as anchor and EPC core — fastest time-to-market, no core network upgrade needed. Phase 2 (5G Core deployment): deploy standalone 5G Core (5GC) network alongside EPC. This enables SA registration for devices that support it while NSA continues for older 5G devices. Phase 3 (VoNR): launch Voice over NR, eliminating the need for LTE fallback for voice calls. This is technically challenging and requires end-to-end IMS integration.