European 5G scoreboard
Overview of 5G developments
This page provides an overview of the state of 5G in the European Union. Below you will find maps and charts about 5G population coverage, 5G rollout and 5G spectrum awards.
Map: 5G coverage
Darker green indicates higher coverage
≤20% ≥20% ≥40% ≥60% ≥80% 100%
72% population coverage achieved in EU27
Please note: Overall coverage is a general indicator that does not presume any particular quality of service measures. All 5G coverage is included, including that using dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS). Location covered by at least one operator.
Sources: Data on population coverage, base stations and spectrum assignments is from the DESI index. This data is supplemented with data independently collected by the Observatory
Chart: 5G base stations as a percentage of existing 4G base stations
Total of 256,074 5G base stations by end of 2021 in EU27
Please note: Only the total number of 5G base stations is known for some EU countries. This means the true total number of base stations in the EU in 700 MHz, 3.6 GHz or DSS bands may be higher. Excludes Italy, Estonia and Sweden as there was no base station data available. Additionally, some countries use bands that are not included in this chart and do not operate using a DSS configuration.
Chart: Percentage of pioneer bands assigned
64% of pioneer bands assigned
Please note: Countries need to assign 60 MHz in 700 MHz; 400 MHz in 3.6 GHz and 1000 MHz in 26 GHz to receive a 100% score.
Map: Pioneer bands assigned by country
Please note: Countries need to assign 60 MHz in 700 MHz; 400 MHz in 3.6 GHz and 1000 MHz in 26 GHz to receive a 100% score.
International 5G scoreboard
Overview of 5G developments
This page provides an overview of the state of 5G internationally. Below you will find tables and charts about 5G rollout and 5G spectrum awards in major international markets.
Table: Comparison of 5G rollout in international markets
Please note: There may be discrepancies between the reported figures, as the method for calculating the number of base stations is not standardised between regions.
Sources: Data on subscriber numbers and base stations were collected from various sources including regulator announcements.
Chart: Assigned 5G spectrum in international markets (EU data represents average spectrum assigned)
Please note: For the EU, data on spectrum assigned has been averaged out across all EU27. Some individual countries may have more spectrum assigned for 5G, while some may have less or none.
USA data shows all spectrum made available to mobile operators by the FCC. Not all of this spectrum will have been sold to operators so the final amount of spectrum assigned to operators may be slightly lower.
For further information about methodology, see page 32 in the full 5G Observatory report 15.
Table: Assigned 5G spectrum bands in international markets
