5G for Europe’s Digital and Green Recovery

The "fifth generation" of telecommunication systems, or 5G, will be one of the most critical building blocks of our digital economy and society in the next decade. Europe has taken significant steps to lead global developments towards this strategic technology.

5G icon over a city — iStock by Getty images 1135535759 onlyyouqj

What is 5G?

The fifth generation of mobile & wireless technologies
A response to mobile traffic doubling every two years & the growing needs of emerging applications
The capacity, performance level & security needed to meet future connectivity needs
Integrating different technologies, especially the Internet of Things

5G means enhanced mobile broadband, massive machine type communication and ultra-reliable, low-latency communication. This will enable new applications, such as gigabit speed data transfers, smart homes, 3D video UHD screens, cloud supported work and play activities, augmented reality, industry automation, critical eHealth applications, connected and automated mobility and smart cities

5G investments to support the COVID-19 Recovery

The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the importance of resilient & high-speed communications for remote working, in our daily lives, & to maintain business operations & processes
The Commission & Member States have identified fibre & 5G infrastructure as a key area of investment for the Recovery & Resilience Facility (RRF), for a digital & green recovery

5G in CONNECT RRF components:

5G in CONNECT RRF components: infrastructure projects, 5G for remote areas, Accelerating 5G ecosystems, Venture capital facility for 5G infrastructures and services

5G for Europe’s Recovery

5G AND CONNECTIVITY INFRASTRUCTURES: A “FLAGSHIP” OF THE EU RECOVERY & RESILIENCE FACILITY

5G is one of the 7 flagship areas of RRF: a significant share of its targeted €150 billion digital budget should finance 5G network infrastructures
RRF funds will complement Connecting Europe Facility and Digital Europe Programme strategic investments
Over the full recovery period, it should double the level of annual investments in network infrastructures in Europe, giving a boost to 5G network rollout
RRF funds will benefit from a range of fast-track measures regarding state aid authorisation

5G for verticals

Enable artificial intelligence in business and other aspects of our daily lives
Connect our communities and industries, from applications in public health, such as remote diagnosis, surgery or monitoring of patients, automated cars to wireless robots
Excellent potential for sustainable growth and job creation across Europe
Expected global added value of over €500 billion per year

5G Action Plan

2018: Early 5G launch in selected areas. 2020: Commercial launch of 5G services in at least one major city in all MS. 2025: 5G in all urban areas and along main transport paths.

The 5G Action Plan will boost efforts to deploy 5G infrastructure & services
Calling on stakeholders & Member States to launch and invest in 5G
Using the new investment-friendly European Electronic Communicatinos Code ('The Code') adopted in 2018
5G for Europe: An Action Plan – COM(2016)588

European 5G Observatory

The European 5G Observatory monitors the progress of the 5G Action Plan
European operators neck-and-neck with other leading world regions
Europe world leader in 5G trial activities with more than €1 billion invested
Investments in commercial roll-out of €60-100 billion per year need to follow

EU-27 Scoreboard (January 2021)

181 5G trials in the 27 MS. 478 future 5G-enabled cities. 36.2% 5G spectrum assigned throughout the EU-27

The Code

The Code sets out common EU rules and objectives for the telecoms market

Harmonised principles and peer review process for coherent spectrum authorisations
Coordinated deadlines for spectrum availability, especially for use by 5G
Long duration of rights of spectrum use – 20 years of predictability
EU-wide light deployment regime for small cells (Commission implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1070 of 20 July 2020)

5G Spectrum

5G Pioneer Bands

A roadmap for delivering the 5G 'spectrum mix' for the Internet of Everything
Usability of all 5G Pioneer Bands by the end of 2020
Make all mobile bands '5G-ready' & consider additional bands for 5G

Connectivity Toolbox

The Recommendation targets:
- Short-term measures to boost investment in very high-capacity broadband connectivity infrastructure, including fibre and 5G,
- Guidance to Member States in the process of designing their proposals for a recovery and resilience plan

Towards a common Union Toolbox of best practices by 30 March 2021 with regard to two key areas:
- Network rollout cost reduction and
- Access to 5G radio spectrum

Best practices to be implemented in national roadmaps

5G Corridors

Vision: Pan-EU 5G Corridors for Connected and Automated Mobility
Private investment with public funding of cross-border & challenging areas
Large-scale testing using Horizon 2020 (€80 million)
Large-scale deployment of 5G Corridors will be supported by the new Connecting Europe Facility Digital (part of total proposed budget of €2.1 billion) as well as the Recovery and Resilience Facility
Blending or coordination with InvestEU & national programmes

Map of 5G Cross border Corridors for Connected and Automated Mobility

* On the road to automated mobility: An EU strategy for mobility of the future COM(2018) 283

Security

5G is a key asset for Europe to compete in the global market
Cybersecurity is crucial for ensuring autonomy of the EU
5G infrastructure is interconnected & transnational by nature
Vulnerabilities & cyber incidents in one Member State can affect the EU
Serious consequences for critical serices in case of systemic & widespread disruptions
-> 5G Cyber-security toolbox published at EU level

Electromagnetic fields and 5G

Some citizens perceive 5G as a threat to public health, as they think that EMF exposure is higher than exposure from current 4G networks
Some of the expressed concerns have been classified as disinformation. An example of this is linking 5G networks with the outbreak of COVID-19
Exposure to EMF that is caused by wireless communications equipment including for 5G is subject to limits defined in a Council Recommendation. These limits are set according to the guidelines issued by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. More information about the guidelines can be found on ICNIRP's webpage
Following the scientific recommendations, the EU puts exposure for the general public at a limit which is at least 50 times lower than what international scientific evidence suggests as having any effect on health
These limits are not binding for EU Members States and they are responsible for setting EMF limits in their countries

Visual on the Electromagnetic spectrum from non-ionizing radiation to ionizing radiation

5GPPP

logo SNS

5G Public Private Partnership - 5G-PPP launched in 2013
€700 million public investment
Mobilising €5 billion of private investment
Establishing Europe as leader in 5G technology
Global cooperation enabling global 5G standards
Building 5G ecosystems with large-scale trials

Road to 6G