Jio and T-Mobile Achieve World’s First 5G SA Roaming Connection With Syniverse

Reliance Jio and T-Mobile have announced the achievement of what the companies describe as the world's first 5G Standalone (SA) roaming connection. The milestone, realised by the Indian telecom service provider and the US-based wireless network operator, is said to mark a significant step towards interoperable 5G networks across countries. It allows T-Mobile customers travelling internationally to access 5G SA roaming through Jio's network in India. The technology is claimed to deliver faster speeds, lower latency and more reliable connectivity compared with earlier roaming setups.

Jio, T-Mobile Achieve 5G SA Roaming Milestone

Jio and T-Mobile have achieved the world's first 5G Standalone (SA) roaming connection, according to the companies. T-Mobile said that the move is enabled through Syniverse's global connectivity and mediation platform, which provides the interconnection between the two networks. Syniverse said its platform and SEPP capabilities can help operators validate and deploy 5G SA roaming as more networks adopt the technology.

The development is particularly notable for Jio, which operates a nationwide 5G Standalone network in India. Unlike non-standalone 5G deployments that rely partly on existing 4G infrastructure, 5G SA uses a dedicated 5G core network. It enables lower latency and support for services that require more consistent network performance.

As part of the new setup, T-Mobile customers travelling internationally can experience 5G SA roaming, with the company describing it as the first such deployment anywhere in the world.

Mark Yarkosky, Head of International Network, Partnership and Services at Jio, described the development as a step towards interoperability between 5G SA networks. He said the technology could support new consumer and enterprise services, as well as AI-enabled services that make use of 5G Standalone capabilities.

As per T-Mobile, the groundwork for its 5G Standalone network began in 2020. The company said the partnership with Jio now allows customers to maintain a more seamless 5G experience when moving between countries.