A recent report by Ookla and Omdia highlights the current state of 5G standalone globally, showing the state, or rather lack thereof of 5G SA in Europe.
A key takeaway cited in the report states that Europe severly lags other regions in 5G SA availability. Within Europe, you also see a great disparity between countries. “Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain – all four-player markets benefiting from targeted 5G SA specific fiscal stimuli or coverage obligations – lead Europe in terms of 5G SA rollout across multiple operators”.
“However, as the industry moves into the mid-point of the 5G cycle with 5G SA, Southern Europe has taken on a more prominent role, while the Nordics have been less central compared to their leading position in the initial wave of non-standalone commercialization. For instance, large-scale 5G SA deployments have been observed in multiple Southern European countries such as Spain, Portugal and Greece, while Finland remains the only Nordic country to date with a substantial 5G SA footprint.” The full report is available here.
Conclusion:
Europe is at an important crossroads in its 5G journey. Despite setting the most ambitious infrastructure targets among advanced liberal economies, the bloc continues to lag behind its developed peers in key measures of network reach and performance with 5G SA—a technology it has positioned as central to its emerging pro-growth industrial strategy and the broader European competitiveness compass. A confluence of challenges—including a depressed investment environment, reliance on legacy business models, skills shortages, technical barriers, and insufficient targeted government support— continues to impede the wide-scale deployment and monetization of 5G SA networks in Europe. Leading markets such as Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom have made notable strides through targeted fiscal measures and strategic coverage obligations. However, the isolated nature of these successes highlights the urgent need for a more coordinated, pan-European strategy to accelerate 5G SA deployment and adoption as a distinct objective, separate from the bloc’s broader 5G coverage goals.
