Before 6G, carriers need to monetize 5G Standalone (Reader Forum)

The bigger truth is that carriers, consumers, and businesses are not yet ready for 6G

While some have begun speculating on the futuristic potential of 6G, a more pressing need confronts Communications Service Providers (CSPs): monetizing their massive investments in 5G SA. The fact is that 5G has yet to unlock substantial revenue, leaving a gap between expenditures and earnings. And the bigger truth is that carriers, consumers, and businesses are not yet ready for 6G.

To bridge this gap, CSPs must first shift their strategies from selling speed to delivering value through service-based monetization models, including leveraging 5G’s unique architecture to enable network slicing and sophisticated API exposure (such as guaranteed bandwidth or dedicated OTT video quality). Critical to delivering these advanced services effectively is prioritization of end-to-end network observability, data integrity, and the ability to guarantee strict Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Monetization strategies: Turning 5G capabilities into revenue

A lucrative strategy is the deployment of network slices. For enterprises in sectors that run multiple applications simultaneously or hold private information, such as manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare, these dedicated networks offer unparalleled security, control, and performance.

Monetization through network slicing has a positive outlook, with the market expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 41.66% from 2025 to 2030. By creating virtual, isolated, and customized networks for specific use cases, CSPs can sell bespoke and performance-guaranteed connectivity. For example, a low-latency network slice for cloud gaming or a highly reliable slice for a remote surgery site with near-zero latency and jitter. These are niche areas of high-value use cases that demand performance levels impossible to guarantee on an open5G SA network.

Another way to monetize 5G SA is Application Programming Interface (API) exposure, which involves CSPs granting specific network capabilities – such as service quality, location data, or fraud detection – to third-party developers.

Consider a few cases where API exposure is beneficial:

• Allowing developers to build new apps on top of the network, with CSPs generating revenue through a subscription or per-use model.
• In smart cities, real-time data on traffic or public transportation use allows for optimized route planning.
• Emergency services can be given the highest network priority during critical situations for uninterrupted and reliable service.

These monetization strategies position CSPs as a partner in innovation, especially when combined with network observability and data.

The foundational role of network observability and data

These service-based monetization strategies are impossible without end-to-end visibility. Delivering a network slice or an API exposure requires the ability to see and interpret every packet from the radio access network (RAN) to the multi-cloud core.

Modern, cloud-native 5G SA networks demand packet-level intelligence, which provides the contextual richness needed for CSPs to decode application protocols and virtualized network functions through a unified view of performance and security across the network. This capability simplifies performance assurance and eliminates guesswork, ensuring that every layer of the network, from the RAN to the data center edge, is inspectable.

For CSPs, the long-term success of 5G SA will not be measured in the speed of the network alone but in new, sustainable revenue streams. Without sustainable revenue streams in place for 5G, it’s premature to discuss 6G deployment. To move beyond anemic returns on 5G investments, CSPs must aggressively pivot to value creation through network slicing, private networks, and API exposure.

By building these services on a foundation of deep network observability, CSPs can finally capitalize on their current investments. This is more than a course correction for 5G; it is the essential work of building the financially sound and operationally resilient blueprint for success in the 6G era.