5G standalone at O2: iOS 18.4 brings support for the iPhone

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The first customers had already discovered it during the beta testing of iOS 18.4. It has been official since Monday evening: with the update from Apple, iPhone users on the O2 network can now also use 5G standalone (5G-SA). Marketed under the name "5G Plus", this enables a continuous 5G connection from the antenna to the core network. With the previous 5G non-standalone, however, the mobile signals are processed in the LTE/4G core network. Apple had already enabled 5G-SA for Telekom and Vodafone in earlier updates of iOS 18.

While 5G standalone has been available on the O2 network since October 2023, iPhone users had to wait longer for support. "We have gone through a comprehensive certification process with Apple to ensure that the network and end device work together optimally with 5G standalone – from mobile data usage to 5G telephony," explains Matthias Sauder, Director Networks at O2 Telefónica, when asked by heise online. According to the network operator, it already supplies over 97% of the population with 5G standalone.

These are the advantages for customers

5G standalone should bring several advantages right from the start. "In areas with high 4G traffic, 5G standalone comes into its own because only 5G frequencies are used," says Sauder. Even when making calls, the network no longer switches back to 4G, which is noticeable in faster call setup and HD voice quality. O2 promises improvements for rural areas in particular: iPhone users there can connect via the 5G frequencies at 700 megahertz, which are considered to have a greater range.

5G standalone is also more energy-efficient than previous mobile communications standards: "The end device no longer has to connect to the 5G and 4G/LTE networks in parallel. This saves the smartphone battery." Energy consumption is also to be reduced on the network operator side. Artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technology are to be used to increase energy efficiency at the 28,000 mobile network sites. "In times of low utilization, the AI regulates individual frequency bands down. When data demand increases, the bands switch back on," explains the network manager. With this approach, O2 aims to save around ten percent of electricity.

Further plans with 5G standalone

In the future, O2 wants to go beyond pure use as a mobile broadband network for surfing and streaming. 5G standalone could deliver higher data rates in the future if further frequencies are reallocated from 4G to 5G. At the same time, however, changes to the network architecture are planned. Small data centers close to customers are planned in order to move towards real-time communication. "This is relevant for gaming, VR and AR applications, for example."

Another technology is network slicing: "With 5G standalone, we can divide the mobile network into different virtual slices, so-called 5G slices," explains Sauder. These are programmed to meet specific customer requirements, for example to guarantee certain bandwidths and response times. So far, O2 has mainly used this technology for business customers, but is also planning applications for private customers in the areas of gaming, smart home or trackers with health and security functions.

Availability for customers

The telecommunications provider operates its 5G core network in the AWS cloud. It uses technology from the European network equipment manufacturer Nokia. One advantage of this is that the network expansion can be increasingly automated, which means it can be completed faster, among other things.

For O2 private customers, 5G standalone is available as a free "5G Plus Pack" via the app, among other things, provided they have a fixed-term contract. Business customers can also have the technology activated with O2 Business. 5G Standalone is supported by the iPhone 16 (Plus), iPhone 16 Pro (Max), iPhone 15 (Plus) and iPhone 15 Pro (Max).

(mki)