5G is moving forward in Europe – The position of Greece

Of Costa Ketsietzis

The adoption of fifth generation (5G) mobile networks in Europe is proceeding at a slower pace than its competitors, while Greece is above the European average, according to the latest data from Ookla, the internet speed measurement company.

In its latest 5G in Europe report: Reflecting on the Progress So Far and Mapping the Future, Ookla states that “while much progress has been made so far and some operators offer lightning speeds, the picture is mixed across the continent the ambitions set by the European Union remain just that, Ambitions ”.

According to GSMA Intelligence, by January 2022 84 operators had already deployed 5G services in 31 countries. State of Digital Communications report released by European Telecommunications Operators (ETNO) lobby 5G adoption in Europe accounts for only 2.8% of total mobile connections, compared with 13.4% in the US and 29.3% in South Korea. This is despite the fact that 5G is available to 62% of the population.

Our country is one of the first in Europe to provide a range for 5G, along with Finland and Germany. At 5G speeds, our country is in the 8th place in the ranking of the 20 European countries examined by Ookla’s research, with the average 5G download speed reaching 200 Mbps.

In terms of population coverage of 5G networks, Greece is in sixth place in the ranking of European countries, with the Netherlands, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Switzerland and Denmark at better levels.

The gradual release of spectrum from 2G / 3G networks and the penetration of 5G smartphones are expected to improve Europe’s 5G performance by 2025 with Ookla estimating that population coverage will reach 86% over the next three years.

Even so, of course, the Old Continent will continue to lag behind its global competitors, as population coverage in the Americas and China-Japan-Korea is expected to reach 98% and 91% respectively in the same year.