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Find out more about the 2026 State of the Digital Decade
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The 22nd edition of the European 5G Observatory report is the Commission’s key policy repository for data related to 5G and its evolution towards 6G.
Key facts
- In contrast, 5G SA deployment in other advanced economies is higher and in 2025 stands at 36.2% in the US, 34.8% in China, 26.3% in Japan and 26.2% in South Korea
- However, mid-band coverage remains the main bottleneck in the EU. 5G coverage in the 3.4–3.8 GHz spectrum band is substantially lower than general 5G coverage in many countries (74.8% overall
- By 2025, the EU had reached 75.3% harmonised spectrum assignment, with many Member States at near or full assignment
- Launched by the European Commission in 2018, the 5G Observatory has evolved into a tool for evidence-based policy-making under the Digital Decade Policy Programme (DDPP)
Summary
This report is prepared by an external contractor for monitoring developments in the deployment of 5G in the EU and internationally, and assessing progress towards EU’s digital connectivity targets. Launched by the European Commission in 2018, the 5G Observatory has evolved into a tool for evidence-based policy-making under the Digital Decade Policy Programme (DDPP). The current edition shows that the EU is close to achieving full basic 5G population coverage (96.8% of households) and slightly less close in terms of basic 5G rural coverage, which stands at 87.9%. Internationally, countries such as South Korea, Japan, China, and India (in order of performance), consistently outperform the EU27 in both household and rural 5G coverage, often reaching near-universal coverage.