The full potential of 5G cannot be reached until operators implement the Standalone version of the 5G New Radio standards, which involves implementing a virtualized, and preferably cloud-native, core network – the part that connects their radio access network (RAN) to their internal applications and the wider internet. Until operators have this core, their initial 5G NR Non-Standalone rollouts, which rely on a slightly updated LTE core, will deliver little more than 4G++. Deploying the new core will be no mean task, however, which is why every MNO with plans to launch 5G in 2019 or 2020 has opted for the simpler first step of Non-Standalone. And while a few will start to deploy the 5G core next year, the…