GSMA: 205bn funding gap leaving Europe's critical infrastructure at risk | Computer Weekly

GSMA: 205bn funding gap leaving Europe's critical infrastructure at risk | Computer Weekly

Briefly

"Europe's mobile networks risk falling further behind the world's digital leaders unless investment conditions change quickly through targeted government campaigns, warns a GSMA study, which found the region's operators are investing significantly less per connection than global peers, despite rising data usage and growing demands from artificial intelligence (AI), transport and industry."

"The Mobile investment needs in Europe report from the global mobile trade association calculated that investment of as much as €475bn was required over the next decade to complete Europe's 5G journey and regain digital leadership, but a €205bn funding gap is currently leaving critical infrastructure, innovation and resilience at risk."

"It noted that while 5G standalone (5G SA) - essentially what it described as "full" 5G, with faster speeds, lower latency, and innovative services and features deriving from network slicing - is already available to 80% of the population in Greater China and almost 50% in India, in Europe, it reaches only 2% of citizens."

"The report discovered that capital expenditure (capex) per connection in Europe is just €35, compared with €70 for global connectivity leaders. The stark net result, stressed the GSMA, was that the European bloc remained unable to keep pace and compete. And while mobile internet usage has increased every year since 2018 by an average of 27%, operator revenues were found to have fallen by an average of 3% per year over the same period, further restricting available investment capital."