Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools
Sections
You are here: Home Focus The Stakes are High for Europe in the Global Race for 5G

The Stakes are High for Europe in the Global Race for 5G

18 February 2019, 17:10 CET

It has been years in the making, but it now seems that the 5G network is far closer to become a reality. In 2018, Carriers started using 5G networks in selected cities, but now it appears that 2019 will be the year that 5G will roll out to more places. However, even with the just concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, there seem to be more questions than answers.

If you are into betting with Energy Bet promo code, let's put a question to you – do you think 5G will change the world in the near future?

What is 5G?

5G networks are the next level of mobile networks, and boy, they are fast!They will offer you a more reliable connection and faster speeds on your smart devices such as mobile phones. For instance currently, you are using 4G and 3G networks which are a bit slower than 5G.

One of the advantages of 5G is that it will help with how the world works such as the Internet of Things, data collection and connect the world much more comfortably.

When will 5G launch?

As mentioned earlier, there are some selected cities which use 5G however do not despair because it is predicted that by 2020 it will be launched across the world. The first nations which are expected to begin are China, Russia, and Korea. However, it is likely that some countries which are preparing their devices and network are 5G worthy might start earlier than expected.

Europe's Global race for the 5G network.

The question which has been in many peoples mind is whether the most important continent in the world is ready for 5G. The just concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland ended on a low note. This is because it became profoundly clear that Europe will not be in the first line when it comes to adopting the 5G network. The only country which is likely to represent the whole continent is Russia which will give them an upper advantage than the other countries.

Once countries such as China and Russia adopt the new network, they will have the power to reinforce political regimes and remove data security on citizens. However, it all depends on telecom operators who are preparing their devices for 5G.

Currently, the two main players in the 5G race in Europe are Nokia and Ericsson. As these two telecoms try and battle it out for supremacy with other telecom companies from China such as Huawei, it remains clear that Asia has the upper advantage. For instance, there are 300 million mobile users in China while in France there are about 19 million users. You have to guess who has the upper advantage.

For the European nations to have a share in the 5G network, they will need to look beyond their borders. It is time for investors who are looking for a lucrative return to focus on the best markets.

Document Actions
Weekly Diary

The Week Ahead no. 625
Special European Council - eInvoicing - Circular Economy - European Crime Prevention - Transport Research - Just Transition - European elections 6-9 June - LUX European Audience Film Award

→ EUbusiness Week archive

Subscription options