Partner Content: The technological advances being shaped by 5G across Europe are so significant that this era is being recognized as Europe’s Digital Decade. Multiple technology milestones have been realized across Europe, and these achievements are seen as pivotal moments when vision becomes reality before our eyes.
The EU’s Digital Decade aims to achieve technology goals in four key areas: infrastructure; jobs; and government. Focusing on the infrastructure component, the goal is to provide Gigabit connectivity to everyone in Europe by 2030, and at least 5G coverage everywhere. But how can 5G help achieve these goals, and what progress has been made so far?
5G’s role in connectivity and business transformation
The key role of 5G is connectivity, which is considered a basic necessity, especially in the post-pandemic era. With its high speeds and ultra-low latency, 5G is critical to achieving the EU’s Digital Decade goals. According to a GSMA report published in 2022, Europe’s telecommunications sector already contributes around 4% to 5% of GDP. Combined with the indirect effects that 5G will have on different sectors such as manufacturing, automotive, and healthcare, contributing to GDP, this will be a huge contribution.
It is true that 5G is not only a technology upgrade, but also a business and social transformation. Research firm IHS Markit predicts that 5G could drive $13 trillion in global economic output (about 7.5% of global GDP) by 2035. Moreover, the global 5G value chain is expected to generate more than $3.5 trillion in economic output by 2025 and provide employment to more than 22 million individuals by 2035.
5G deployment and deployment
Although Europe has around 50% of the world’s 5G deployments, it does note that its penetration rate is only around 11%-12% of all mobile connections, much lower than in regions including Asia and the US. It’s worth keeping. Even European countries that are among the top performers in 5G deployment, such as the UK, Germany, and Switzerland, only have adoption rates of around 29% to 30%.
In China and South Korea, up to 85% of customers are using 5G or plan to upgrade to 5G. In contrast, the figures for the UK and Germany are around 64% and 42% respectively. Europe generally lags behind in terms of customer willingness to upgrade to 5G.
The impact of lower adoption rates in Europe will reduce global competitiveness. Unfortunately, this reality results in lost economic growth, suppressed investment, reduced innovation, stagnation, missed opportunities in various sectors, and the potential for increased unemployment.
Use cases that could potentially drive 5G demand, such as the Metaverse, where consumers can interact in virtual reality, and high-bandwidth live streaming, which influencers can employ to sell products directly from physical marketplaces. There are several.
Consumer demand is driven by awareness and exposure to use cases. For example, 5G could break down communication barriers by enhancing digital entertainment experiences, such as 3D viewing without the need for special glasses or real-time translation services during video calls.
Europe is doing reasonably well with an average spectrum of around 400MHz in the C-band, but to enable city-wide 5G applications, every country will need an average of 2GHz in the mid-band by 2030. The need for a spectrum was emphasized.
The fast-growing digital economy, supported by digital and intelligent technologies, has become an important driver of socio-economic development. 5G, cloud computing, and AI are being deployed more widely and faster. And they are rapidly converging, driving digital transformation in industries such as energy, transportation, and manufacturing.
For example, Huawei is leveraging its partners’ digital It plays an important role in the movement of The crane is equipped with 20 high-resolution cameras in a cabin high above the ground, whose images are transmitted to a remote operator.
The crane is also equipped with advanced sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, allowing it to operate with a high degree of precision and speed. Uploading images from the crane and displaying them in real time requires high bandwidth, and precise control of the crane requires low latency. The customized private 5G network provides high data security and enables real-time remote control of the entire container terminal area.
Global perspective and competition
China is a key player in the 5G sector, with mobile technologies and services contributing 5.5% of GDP. With its more than 2.3 million 5G base stations and aggressive construction plans, China is expected to become the first market to reach 1 billion 5G connections by 2025.
Competition drives innovation, is essential for customer choice, and requires a coordinated approach. This is very important, considering the opportunity cost as well. If you don’t take a coordinated and planned approach to 5G, you risk missing out on implementing many different types of use cases.
Ronald Van Loon is the founder and CEO of Intelligent World, a leading global technology event and education marketplace featuring thought leaders, analysts, and influencers. Additionally, he serves on the advisory board and course advisor for SimpliLearn, a leading professional certification training company. A multifaceted influencer, Ronald frequently speaks on AI, 5G, and data science. He is recognized and ranked globally by esteemed organizations such as his Onalytica, Refinitiv, GlobalData Research, and Verdict Media, among others. His impressive rankings include being the number one influencer in the AI, big data, and analytics fields. Ranked 2nd in 5G, cloud, and IoT. and third place in infrastructure. Beyond these honors, Ronald helps companies develop AI, data, and analytics strategies to help them meet and exceed their goals. Visit his LinkedIn profile for a comprehensive view of his 175+ rankings.
