T-Mobile and India’s Jio have switched on what the companies call the world’s first 5G Standalone international roaming connection, letting subscribers on either network keep a full 5G Standalone connection while traveling between the United States and India.
Most international roaming today falls back to older network technology once a phone leaves its home country. 5G Standalone, or 5G SA, instead runs on a dedicated 5G core network rather than one that leans on existing 4G equipment, which the companies say delivers faster speeds, lower latency and a more reliable connection. The technology could also support services that need constant connectivity, such as internet-of-things devices and real-time communication tools.
I have been a T-Mobile customer for over 10 years now and I look forward to this service next time I travel to India.
T-Mobile storefront. Photo: JeepersMedia, CC BY 2.0, via flickr.
The connection was made possible by Syniverse, a Tampa, Florida-based company that runs interoperability infrastructure linking mobile networks around the world, using what it calls its Security Edge Protection Proxy technology, according to The Hindu BusinessLine.
Ankur Kapoor, T-Mobile’s chief network officer, called it a milestone step for the wireless industry, noting that T-Mobile began laying the groundwork for 5G Standalone roaming in 2020 and named Jio as its partner in reaching this stage. Mark Yarkosky, who heads international network, partnership and services at Jio, said the achievement points toward new cross-network services, including AI-enabled offerings, built on 5G Standalone technology.
For American businesses with employees or customers moving between the two countries, the practical effect is a phone that behaves the same way on either side of the trip. More broadly, the partnership is a reminder that some of the most advanced mobile network technology is now being proven out jointly between an American carrier and its India-based partner, rather than deployed in the United States first and exported later.
