Costa Rican telco Liberty has signed a deal to deploy 5G Standalone (5G SA) in the country.

The carrier partnered with network vendor Ericsson to turn on the technology, which the telco notes will be able to unlock the full potential of 5G.

The contract will last for six years, noted Ericsson, which will provide its 5G Core for Liberty.

Ericsson claims that 5G SA will support the growth of IoT devices and improve the mobile broadband experience for customers.

Unlike 5G Non-Standalone (5G NSA), which uses a 4G Core, 5G SA is a network that is not reliant on older mobile generations and solely uses a 5G core network. It's the first such network to be deployed in the country.

The technology paves the way for use cases such as network slicing, while providing faster speeds and lower latency.

As part of the partnership, Ericsson will deploy its dual-mode 5G Core product, along with more than 1,400 sites.

Ericsson will provide its Massive MIMO TDD radio AIR 3255, millimeter wave AIR 5322, and single-band Radio 4432 radios for the deployment.

These radios will operate in the 700 MHz, 3.5 GHz, and 26 GHz frequency bands.

"As 5G becomes vital for digital transformation, robust security is essential. Our comprehensive approach—from standardization and product development to deployment and operations—ensures networks are safe and reliable," said Sean Cryan, head of LATAM North and Caribbean at Ericsson.

"The deployment of the 5G SA network in Costa Rica marks a significant step forward, enabling enhanced user experiences and driving economic growth and innovation."