A1 connects eSIM to 5G SA

As part of testing its 5G network, A1, a provider of telecommunication, ICT and content services, was the first in Belarus to connect a subscriber device with eSIM, a virtual SIM card, to 5G. The entire functionality of the 5G SA network, including HD-voice packet transmission using VoNR, will be available on A1's eSIM.

For testing, Huawei P40 was used as the subscriber device, which is one of the officially sold devices in Belarus to feature the eSIM technology along with standard physical nanoSIM cards.

The eSIM card ("e" means embedded, or "built-in") is a small chip built into the device motherboard, which is remotely programmed by the communication service provider. Today, A1's eSIM can be used for all officially available device models in Belarus to feature this technology. Existing subscribers of the company are able to buy eSIM via Internet, in the personal account of the Internet assistant.

A1's test 5G network is based on standalone architecture (SA). Unlike non-standalone (NSA) architecture networks, pure 5G networks are deployed without binding to the 4G/LTE infrastructure. This approach demands significantly more time and financial expenses from the service provider at the initial stage, however, it allows to provide subscribers with full-fledged 5G connection straight away, with all the key advantages of this standard, in particular, with ultra-high-speed data transfer with minimal delay. The network is currently working in the test mode and is closed for activating subscribers in accordance with the decision of the industry regulator.