A three-way showdown in 2023: 5G standalone, 5G-Advanced and 6G
Access this insight with a Standard plan. Contact our sales team to get started.
Or
6G marketing and promotion efforts were on the rise in 2022, but this comes against a backdrop of 5G scaling past 1 billion connections in the near term and 5G-Advanced’s arrival in the medium term. On its face, this is a straightforward narrative: today’s 5G will pave the way for 5G-Advanced in the coming years, giving way to 6G in 2030 and beyond. But this means that operators will be managing multiple existing technology generations while planning for and rolling out future ones.
It is well understood that running multiple network generations is a burden on operators. Add to that a future focus on diverse technology evolutions and the problem could be exponentially worse, even if some are still years away. While this might have been a theoretical concern in the past, it’s likely to come to the fore in 2023 as 5G standalone (SA), 5G-Advanced and 6G all clamour for attention.
Report details
A three-way showdown in 2023: 5G standalone, 5G-Advanced and 6G
More info
This report is one of more than 140 published annually as part of the GSMA Intelligence data and research subscription, which is designed for organisations that require regular access to our insights. Contact our sales team for details.
Contact usReport details
A three-way showdown in 2023: 5G standalone, 5G-Advanced and 6G
More info
This report is one of more than 140 published annually as part of the GSMA Intelligence data and research subscription, which is designed for organisations that require regular access to our insights. Contact our sales team for details.
Contact usRelated research
The Mobile Economy Europe 2026
The efforts of operators and their partners translate into a significant economic impact for countries in the EU. In 2025, mobile technologies contributed €1.1 trillion of economic value in the region. However, Europe is at a crucial moment. As the region looks to boost competitiveness and strengthen resilience in an uncertain global environment, the quality of its digital infrastructure will be a key determinant of success.
World Cup 2026: are operators the game-changers?
The 2026 Fifa World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US is set to capture the attention of football fans around the world, with operators playing a significant role in its success. The event in many ways represents a microcosm of operator strategy: combining infrastructure performance, customer experience and service innovation to meet immediate demand and strengthen long-term competitive positioning.
Region in Focus: Sub-Saharan Africa, Q1 2026
The Region in Focus series provides an essential quarterly briefing on industry developments, market insights and country KPIs for mobile markets around the world. This edition focuses on analysis of the latest developments for Q1 2026 while providing KPIs for the year to December 2025.
Authors
How to access this report
Annual subscription: Subscribe to our research modules for comprehensive access to more than 200 reports per year.
Enquire about subscriptionContact our research team
Get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis.
Contact our research teamMedia
To cite our research, please see our citation policy in our Terms of Use, or contact our Media team for more information.
Learn more- 200 reports a year
- 50 million data points
- Over 350 metrics
How can we support you?
Get in touch
Contact the GSMA Intelligence support team for help with your account, subscriptions, or access to reports and insights.
Newsletter
Subscribe to the GSMA Intelligence newsletter for the latest industry news and insights, delivered to your inbox.