5G-Advanced Drives Enterprise Growth for BT, Verizon

With initial 5G rollouts nearing saturation, global telecom operators are now focusing on deploying 5G-Advanced (5G-A) and 5G Standalone (SA) networks. The enhanced technologies offer the capabilities needed to monetise advanced enterprise use cases, from smart factories to augmented reality and private networks.

Analysts and industry leaders increasingly position 5G-A and SA as the fundamental enablers of value. According to Leonard Lee, Executive Analyst at neXt Curve, speaking at the Fierce Networks panel in March 2025: “5G hasn’t even started yet.”

China and the Middle East lead global rollouts

China is setting the global pace for 5G-A adoption. By mid-2025, more than 300 cities had already upgraded to 5G-Advanced, with more than 10 million subscribers opting for premium service tiers built on the new architecture.

In the Middle East, Zain has launched commercial 5.5G plans targeting consumer applications such as UHD streaming and latency-sensitive gaming.

Europe continues its transition at scale. In the UK, BT Group had made its 5G Standalone network available to 28 million people across 50 cities by the first quarter of 2025. The deployments are gradually building the foundations needed for more advanced B2B services across the continent.

5G-A and SA: Key to scalable enterprise use cases

5G-Advanced isn’t just an incremental update; it introduces major architectural upgrades. 3GPP Release 20, finalised in June 2025, officially launched the standard’s evolution and signalled the beginning of 6G development.

The features are pivotal for enterprise functions that require deterministic performance, from automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in manufacturing to real-time machine monitoring.

Enno de Boer, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, commented, “There are certain use cases where you need 5G.

"For example, if you want to run AGVs over the shop floor... they need very low latency. For that, you need the kind of technology that 5G is offering.”

Driving real-world ROI

5G SA and 5G-A are gaining traction as telecoms align infrastructure upgrades with demand for high-value enterprise services. Verizon Business reported 350% growth in its private 5G revenue in 2024 and projects an additional 200% increase in 2025.

The six-network private 5G deployment at Thames Freeport in the UK illustrates how enterprises are using advanced connectivity to enhance safety and automation.

Mike Irizarry, EVP & CTO at UScellular, outlined the broader industry trajectory: “We need the enhancements that 5G Advanced and 6G are going to bring: higher spectrum bands, native AI and a disaggregated architecture enabled by Open RAN.”

Diverging global monetisation models

Operators are adopting different strategies based on market structure. In China, the rapid rollout of 5.5G allows direct-to-consumer monetisation through premium network performance tiers. By contrast, Western operators are focusing on enterprise monetisation via SA cores, network slicing and open APIs.

The diverging models reflect the state-directed coordination in Asia versus the more fragmented and ROI-focused telecom environment in North America and Europe.

Strategic path forward for telecom operators

For telecom leaders, the shift to 5G-A and SA is no longer optional. These networks are becoming foundational for unlocking long-term B2B growth and maintaining competitiveness in increasingly digital economies.

As Darshan Naik, Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at Capgemini Americas, recently stated: “Today’s telco leaders must understand the need for innovation to keep their businesses economically viable—while keeping prices maintainable for consumers.”

By investing in agile, future-proof network architectures, telecom providers are positioning themselves to deliver measurable enterprise value—and preparing for the 6G era already on the horizon.