NOS has launched its 5G Standalone network in Portugal, in partnership with Nokia.

NOS claims this is Portugal's first 5G Standalone network, according to The Portugal News.

NOS, and its compatriots Altice and Vodafone, have all shunned Huawei, with the Portuguese telecom watchdog CSSC pushing for a ban of Huawei's equipment from Portugal's 5G mobile networks.

NOS first launched 5G back in 2021 but as a non-Standalone service relying on 4G LTE.

5G Standalone, however, is not reliant on older mobile generations and solely uses a 5G core network.

NOS has so far invested €420 million ($461m) in its 5G network, with plans to invest €110m ($120m) in the coming years, according to Jorge Graça, chief technology and information officer at NOS.

The operator says it has more than 4,200 5G base stations, and its coverage extends to more than 93 percent of the Portuguese population.

NOS claims that one in four of its customers already have 5G devices.