Jio and US-based T-Mobile have claimed the world’s first 5G standalone roaming connection, enabling T-Mobile customers to access 5G standalone services while travelling internationally on Jio’s network in India. The connection was enabled through interoperability supported by Syniverse’s connectivity platform.
The companies said the development allows users to move between countries while maintaining access to 5G standalone services. Unlike non-standalone 5G, which relies partly on existing 4G network infrastructure, 5G standalone operates on a dedicated 5G core and is designed to support capabilities such as lower latency, network slicing and advanced enterprise applications.
The announcement was made by T-Mobile and Jio on Monday. The companies described the connection as an industry milestone in cross-network interoperability, although the supplied announcement did not provide details on the number of users involved, the exact locations of testing, commercial launch dates or the pricing of any roaming services.
“This is a monumental step for global wireless, and T-Mobile is proud to lead it,” Ankur Kapoor, chief network officer at T-Mobile, said. Kapoor added that T-Mobile had begun laying the groundwork for a 5G standalone future in 2020 and described Jio as a partner in extending that work internationally.
The connection is supported by Syniverse’s connectivity platform, which the companies said helps interconnect mobile networks and facilitate international roaming. Syniverse’s role includes security and network interworking capabilities intended to help operators validate and deploy 5G standalone roaming services.
John Wick, chief product officer of Syniverse, said the company’s platform was designed to support operators from testing and validation through production deployment. He referred to the milestone as an example of how secure interworking and mediation systems could support the commercial development of 5G standalone roaming.
For mobile users, the immediate significance is the potential to retain access to 5G standalone services when travelling across networks and national borders. International roaming typically depends on agreements between operators, compatible network technologies and the ability of signalling and authentication systems to work across different carriers. The new connection addresses that interoperability layer between T-Mobile and Jio’s 5G standalone networks.
Jio’s head of international network, Partnership and Services, Mark Yarkosky, said the development went beyond roaming and could support cross-network consumer and enterprise services. He also referred to possible AI-enabled services, but the announcement did not specify any products, applications or commercial offerings based on those capabilities.
The milestone comes as telecom operators continue to develop 5G standalone networks and seek to make them interoperable beyond domestic markets. The companies’ announcement establishes the connection between T-Mobile and Jio, while details on wider operator participation, customer availability and the timeline for commercial expansion remain to be announced.
