Offloading 5G Traffic Through Non-3GPP Access: Why It Matters

A user device today can reach the network in two broad ways: through 3GPP access (like 4G/5G cellular) or non-3GPP access (like Wi-Fi, satellite, and others).

The cellular side is well-defined with ongoing efforts towards standardization and is supported by a mature ecosystem such as 3GPP. But it also carries most of the traffic, and operators keep dealing with growing loads, complex orchestration, and rising service expectations.

Meanwhile, the non-3GPP side remains far less explored with respect to serving the widespread application specific mission critical services. It’s full of potential, but also full of loose ends. As data keeps growing in terms of size, and services become more strict about latency, reliability, and throughput, it’s getting harder to depend on cellular alone.

That’s where traffic offloading comes in.

Why offload traffic to non-3GPP access?

Offloading part of the user traffic to alternate access networks can give operators some breathing room and reduces the chances for the congestion as well as network failure. It lets them deliver the required quality of service without putting. Of course there is tradeoff, it comes with its own cost: operators must integrate and rely on networks they don’t fully control. Also, it hurts their return of investment (ROI). But when done right, the payoff is big - better user experience and far more efficient resource use. 

What counts as non-3GPP access?

The non-3GPP world is diverse. It includes options like:

• Wi-Fi in homes, offices, and public spaces

• Satellite and NTN for remote, rural, or global coverage

• UAV-based access points for temporary or emergency connectivity

• Wired access, which may sound old-school, but plays a surprisingly important role

3GPP classifies these networks as trusted, untrusted, or wired, based on the trust level and control operator has over the non-3GPP access. Also, it depends on how secure and integrated they are with the core. For example, for untrusted access a tunnel is established with full encryption whereas same for trusted one is null encryption.

The interesting part: wired access and convergence

Wired access might look out of place in a 5G discussion, but it actually opens the door to something powerful: access agnosticism.

With proper convergence between wired and wireless networks, a 5G core doesn’t need to care whether the user is reaching it through fiber, Wi-Fi, satellite, or cellular. It can treat them all as first-class access options. That simplifies how services are delivered and makes the network far more flexible. Though the wired access hinders mobility at the user end but once established for use-case it serves the purpose well.

This convergence, bringing wired and wireless worlds under one umbrella - is one of the most promising directions for future network architectures. It’s key to handling rising traffic loads without compromising performance.

The road ahead

The non-3GPP access is where the next big wave of innovation is likely to happen. If operators can close the gaps, unify control, and build smarter orchestration, non-3GPP access could become a major pillar of 5G and beyond leveraging the access agnosticism.

Offloading won’t just be a workaround. It’ll be a core strategy for scalable, resilient, and service-centric networks.