Proximus has launched 5G Standalone (5G SA) mobile services in Belgium.

In doing so, the carrier has become the first in the country to go live with the service, which it has dubbed 5G+.

5G SA is a network that is not reliant on older mobile generations and solely uses a 5G core network; it will be better equipped to embrace AI.

Proximus notes that 5G SA enables the ability to introduce network slicing, while its 5G+ service is designed to better withstand traffic peaks.

“With 5G+, we are taking another fundamental step towards the mobile network of the future. We want to provide all our customers – residential and professional – with the best experience anytime, anywhere, and enable them to unlock the innovative potential of 5G technology. After pioneering 4G and 5G, Proximus is now leading the way with 5G+, and we are proud to be the first in Belgium to bring this next-generation 5G technology to Belgium,” said Geert Standaert, network lead, Proximus.

Proximus said that its 5G+ rollout will be a phased one, with the carrier’s business customers on its Mobile Connect and Together Mobile rate plans with a compatible 5G+ SIM card to be the first to access 5G+.

From the summer, 5G+ will become available to residential customers and small businesses, while the feature will be extended to eSIM.

Proximus’ 5G service, which launched in 2020, covers 92 percent of the country’s population.

When most telcos first launched 5G services, the networks were initially 5G Non Standalone (5G NSA), which is reliant on a 4G Core. Many of these telcos are now upgrading their 5G NSA networks to 5G SA.

However, a recent Ookla study revealed that only 2.8 percent of all European 5G connections currently use a fully “standalone” 5G network, compared with 32 percent in North America and 80 percent in China.