Experimental Evaluation and Performance Analysis of 5G NSA Networks

5G technology was introduced in 2019 with the aim of transforming digital connectivity, enabling a new generation of communication capabilities, such as significantly faster mobile broadband, highly reliable low-latency links, and the capacity to support vast IoT deployments. However, the expected improvements promised by 5G technology do not seem to be reflected in actual usage. This study aims to address the issue of the real-world usage of 5G telecommunications networks and compare it with the theoretical specifications of the network as officially published by 3GPP. Specifically, the focus will be on the evaluation of the implementation of the 5G network in northwestern Greece, which operates in Non-Standalone (NSA) mode as of the date of this study’s completion. 5G Standalone (SA) networks were not available for public testing in this region during the data collection period. The analysis focuses on key performance indicators, including throughput, latency, stability, and coverage, to assess how effectively current deployments meet the expectations set by 5G standards. Results show that while 5G delivers notable improvements in peak data rates and latency, several practical limitations persist. NSA deployments remain constrained by their dependence on 4G infrastructure, resource sharing between LTE and 5G components affects performance under high-load conditions, and inconsistent coverage leads to significant variability in user experience. These findings highlight the gap between theoretical capabilities and operational performance, offering insights that can guide future network optimization and inform the transition toward 5G Standalone (SA) architectures.