5G deployment is expected to rapidly increase in Central and Eastern Europe
Around a tenth of all mobile data connections in Europe now use 5G, placing Europe third among global regions behind North America and Greater China. The UK and Germany lead the way among the continent’s four largest economies, with both expected to have adoption rates of over 90 per cent by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, Central and Eastern Europe is expected to see the strongest growth in 5G connectivity over the next few years, far outpacing Western Europe.
Bulgaria leads in 5G download speeds
Various barriers stand in the way of consumer adoption, not least the premiums imposed on 5G mobile contracts. However, many European Mobile users are still limited by the lack of 5G coverage in their local area. Population coverage in the EU-27 countries stands at 81 percent, reaching 100 percent in Cyprus and the Netherlands, but falling to around one-fifth in Sweden. Additionally, not all 5G networks are of the same quality, and there are noticeable variations in 5G download speeds across Europe. Bulgaria recorded the fastest median 5G speed of over 300 Mbps in 2023, while no other country was able to exceed 100 Mbps.
Changing consumer habits will increase reliance on 5G networks
The number of IoT devices in Europe is expected to double by 2030, with connected cars, augmented reality headsets, and smart factory sensors all requiring real-time data transfer. This will increase the dependence of European business consumers on high-speed, low-latency mobile networks, underscoring the importance of his successful 5G rollout to the continent’s economic prospects.
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