- Europe significantly trails other major regions in 5G SA deployment and performance.
- Countries like Germany, the UK, and Spain lead Europe in 5G SA rollouts, driven by targeted policies.
What happened: Europe’s 5G SA challenge
A recent report by Ookla, titled “A Global Evaluation of Europe’s Digital Competitiveness in 5G SA,” reveals that Europe is severely lagging behind other major regions in the deployment and commercialisation of 5G Standalone (SA) networks. Despite setting ambitious infrastructure targets, Europe currently has the poorest outcomes in 5G SA performance among major regions, with a coverage rate of only 2%. This is in stark contrast to China, which leads globally with an 80% 5G SA availability.
The report, developed in collaboration with Omdia, identifies several factors contributing to Europe’s lag. These include a more diversified multi-band spectrum strategy and greater operator investment in 5G core networks in other regions. Within Europe, however, countries like Germany, the UK, and Spain have shown progress, thanks to targeted fiscal stimuli and coverage obligations. BT’s EE in the UK, for instance, has adopted a highly diversified spectrum strategy, making it one of the most comprehensive 5G SA deployments in Europe.
Also read:Brussels’ 5G connectivity faces challenges
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Why it’s important
The slow pace of 5G SA deployment in Europe has significant implications for the region’s digital competitiveness. While Europe struggles with 5G SA commercialisation, other regions are leveraging the enhanced performance of 5G core networks to drive innovation in consumer and enterprise services. For example, US operators are focusing on enterprise network slicing, while Japan has introduced tiered rate plans.
European operators, such as BT’s EE and Deutsche Telekom, are also making strides, but overall progress remains slow. The report suggests that Europe needs to adapt its business models and adopt new verticals to fully monetise 5G SA technology.
