iPhone 18 Pro Series Supports 5G SA; Taiwan Telecoms' SA Progress Revealed

Apple (AAPL-US) iPhone 18 Pro series hardware supports 5G SA (Standalone), but Taiwan's telecom operators currently have SA services mostly in the demonstration phase, with NSA (Non-Standalone) being the main focus. However, the three major telecoms—Chunghwa Telecom (2412-TW), Far EasTone (4904-TW), and Taiwan Mobile (3045-TW)—are actively deploying SA. Chunghwa Telecom and Far EasTone have also explained the latest progress of SA.

Chunghwa Telecom stated that it continues to advance its Pre-6G strategy, conducting 5G SA trials in various environments, and is strengthening SA construction under this strategy. The goal is to launch SA services and tariffs by the end of the year in conjunction with SA-compatible phones, driving more 5G applications.

General Manager Lin Rongci added that SA can be further applied to network slicing to achieve low latency and high bandwidth, and the basic network and communication characteristics are expected to bring more imagination and applications.

Chunghwa Telecom said that network and phones are two important aspects driving SA. On the network side, Chunghwa Telecom is committed to promoting 5G construction, with 5G user penetration exceeding 45% and expected to exceed 50% by the end of the year. On the phone side, both Android and iOS camps are testing.

Regarding SA, Far EasTone President Jenny Chi said, "Doing it well is more important than doing it early," and pointed out that the iPhone 18 Pro already has SA capabilities. They are currently conducting related certifications with Apple, with the goal of opening some SA functions by the end of the year.

Far EasTone Executive Vice President Zhao Yinan added that currently, SA-compatible phones are mainly mid-to-high-end to flagship models, including brands such as Apple, Samsung, OPPO, and VIVO. Far EasTone is also conducting tests sequentially and expects to have the SA network ready by the end of the year.