The focus of reporting is now shifting from 5G readiness to 5G deployment monitoring. As a result, the score board has been redesigned to emphasise progress regarding 5G network deployment and actual spectrum availability.
As compared to the previous quarter, all EU countries have now launched commercial 5G services in at least a part of the country. The average level of 5G coverage now reaches 64% of population in the EU. However, a significant share of this 5G coverage is achieved using 4G spectrum instead of the 5G pioneer bands. The pioneer bands offer a higher performance potential and will become essential to deliver the advanced 5G services for machine-to-machine communications and the digital transformation of industry.
The 5G Observatory provides a factual source of information on 5G deployment in Europe and complements the Digital Economy Society Indicator (DESI) published by the European Commission.
The 5G Observatory
The European 5G Observatory was launched in 2018 to monitor market developments and preparatory actions taken by industry stakeholders and Member States in the context of 5G roll-out in Europe and beyond. It enables the Commission to assess the progress of Europe's 5G Action Plan and take action to fully implement it.
The 5G Observatory online platform provides the latest news and key trends in 5G deployment in Europe and world-wide and its quarterly reports provide snapshots, including scoreboards, of 5G progress, as well as an assessment in view of the objectives of the 5G Action Plan.