In a blog published today (October 8th), Yigal Elbaz, AT&T’s senior VP and network CTO, AT&T  announced its 5G Standalone (SA) network is now deployed nationwide, marking an important milestone many years in the making.   Elbaz described the 5G SA nationwide deployment as “another bold leap” in wireless connectivity and said the operator is moving customers onto the network “in select areas every day.”

In fact, that “bold leap” was expected to be realized years ago! In 2021, AT&T partnered with Microsoft to offload its mobile 5G Standalone (SA) core network and other network cloud operations to Microsoft Azure, acquiring AT&T’s Network Cloud technology, software, and network operations team in the process. The goal was for Microsoft to manage the software development and deployment of AT&T’s network functions on Azure, allowing AT&T to accelerate innovation, improve efficiency, and reduce operating costs. This move has provided a strategic win for Microsoft’s Azure for Operators division by integrating AT&T’s technology and offering it to other telecom companies.

AT&T said they have millions of customers already on their 5G SA network, and we’re expanding availability to more customers as device support and provisioning allow.  Elbaz elaborated:

5G Standalone networks have now reached a level of maturity that enables our nationwide expansion. This growth is powered by an open and virtualized network, which enables us to scale efficiently and foster collaboration within an open ecosystem of partners. By embracing this open and virtualized network architecture, we are not only modernizing our infrastructure but also unlocking significant advantages for our customers and partners. This approach not only accelerates our ability to roll out new technologies like 5G Standalone but also helps ensure our customers benefit from a network that is robust, innovative, and designed with their needs in mind.

With 5G Standalone now nationwide, we’ve set the stage for the next wave of innovation, creativity, and connection. I couldn’t be prouder of our teams who made this possible, and we’ll continue to scale 5G Standalone over time and set the stage for next generation applications and services.

Compatible 5G SA smartphones include models released in the last several years starting with Apple’s iPhone 13, Samsung’s Galaxy S21 and Google’s Pixel 8.

AT&T also said its 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) network, which uses the 5G SA core and supports the new Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch SE 3, has been expanded to 250 million points of presence.  AT&T 5G RedCap customers can look forward to a growing portfolio of devices, Elbaz said. 

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Separately, Verizon is closing in on completing its 5G SA upgrade. The operator says its 5G SA is deployed nationwide but there are some places where it is still in the process of being rolled out. Although the deployment is not 100% complete, “the vast majority” of 5G SA capable phones will connect to Verizon’s network in “the vast majority of places,” according to an operator spokesperson.

Verizon has launched two network slicing services based on the 5G SA network. In April, the operator launched Frontline, a network slice for first responders that is available across the country. It also offers Enhanced Video Calling, which provides a network slice for better video communications on iPhones.

T-MobileUS launched 5G SA in 2020 and has since rolled out 5G Advanced nationwide. It also offers two network slicing propositions, T-Priority for first responders and SuperMobile for enterprise customers. Both AT&T and Verizon have implemented cloud-native 5G core networks, but T-Mobile’s implementation is more traditional. At Mobile World Congress earlier this year, T-Mobile announced its telco cloud strategy for core and edge networks that is based on Red Hat (owned by IBM).

A recent Heavy Reading (now part of Omdia) survey found 5G SA is poised to scale rapidly. Gabriel Brown noted that the results show “a critical mass is building behind 5G SA that will unlock innovation in the wider mobile network services ecosystem.”   

“This matters when it comes to layering in new services because a cloud native deployment allows operators to be more agile and deploy services faster,” Brown added.

References:

https://about.att.com/blogs/2025/5g-standalone-nationwide.html

https://about.att.com/blogs/2025/5g-redcap.html

https://www.lightreading.com/5g/at-t-verizon-chase-t-mobile-with-nationwide-5g-sa

AT&T 5G SA Core Network to run on Microsoft Azure cloud platform