5G NSA (5G Non-Standalone)

5G Non-Standalone is the initial 5G deployment mode, used by most operators launching 5G between 2019 and 2023. It pairs a 5G NR radio (gNB) with a 4G LTE anchor (eNB) and the 4G EPC core for control-plane signalling, delivering 5G data rates without requiring a full 5G core. NSA inherits LTE's security model and is being progressively migrated to Standalone.

Categories: Radio Access NetworkCore Network

5G NSA in context

The radio access network is where mobile devices attach to the operator's infrastructure. Attacks in this layer include IMSI catching, rogue base stations and downgrade attacks; defenses rest on mutual authentication, integrity-protected signaling and Open RAN supply-chain hygiene.

The mobile core carries subscriber sessions, mobility and policy. In 4G it is the EPC (MME, HSS, S/PGW); in 5G it is the Service-Based Architecture with AMF, SMF, UPF, AUSF, UDM and the NRF.

To place 5G NSA in the wider telecom-security picture, review 5G, 5G SA, A5/3, AMF, AMPS and AUSF — each entry cross-references back to this page so you can walk the topic in either direction.

Related terms

More from the TelcoSec Glossary

Browse the full TelcoSec Glossary, the Ultimate Guide to Mobile Network Security, or the P1 Arsenal of telecom-security tools.