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EU slowly catching up with Korea, Japan on 5G: report
Even though Europe is still lagging in the deployment of standalone 5G networks, the bloc is slowly catching up with other regions in the world, a European Commission report on connectivity targets published Monday suggested.
The so-called Digital Decade report said that targets to have all EU households connected to 5G by 2030 - presented by the Commission in 2021 - ware likely to be met.
'The percentage of households covered by 5G (all spectrum bands) rose by 5.3 percentage points, from 89.0% in 2023 to 94.3% in 2024. This represents a year-on-year increase of 6.0%. According to the forecast along the baseline trajectory, 100% of the target is expected to be achieved already by 2027,' the report said.
When it comes to rural areas, just under 80% were reached by 5G coverage, up from 71% in 2023.
Korea leads with 100% coverage, followed by Japan (99.2%) and Norway (99.0%). The US (97.0%), India and China (all 95%) also exceed or match the EU's coverage rate.
5G connections are deemed necessary as the use of internet connected devices, industrial appliances and data volumes increase.
The report – which also looked at digital skills, cloud and AI uptake -- said that overall, the EU made 'steady progress' in 2024 in digitalising key public services, but a substantial portion of governmental digital infrastructure continues to depend on service providers from outside the EU.
'The data shows persisting challenges, such as fragmented markets, overly complex regulations, security and strategic dependence. Further public and private investment and easier access to venture capital for EU companies would accelerate innovation and scale up,' the report said.
In December, the Commission is set to present its Digital Networks Act (DNA), an overhaul of the bloc's telecom rules to address connectivity issues. A consultation on the DNA is currently open.
In a response to Monday's report, Alessandro Gropelli, director general of telecom association Connect Europe, said a 'deep reform of Europe's connectivity policies is required.'
'We support an ambitious Digital Networks Act inspired by the Draghi Report: in the 21st century, there is no competitiveness without strong connectivity companies,' he added.
Laszlo Toth, head of Europe at mobile network operators' trade association GSMA, said the report was encouraging but cautioned against complacency.
"Getting a basic level of 5G coverage across Europe is one thing but actually providing people with the level of connectivity they need remains a huge challenge under current regulatory circumstances. We need the Commission to continue to look to the future in the upcoming DNA and merger reviews and promote a simplified and pro-investment environment where our digital ecosystem can truly thrive," said Toth.
The 27 EU member states will now discuss the Commission's report and discuss the way forward. Next year, the EU executive will review the targets and whether they still reflect the evolving demand of the EU's priorities.
Data centres are the digital world's powerhouses – but they come with a heavy environmental cost. Globally, they consume an estimated 460 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity each year, equivalent to the energy needs of 153 million homes. Without intervention, their carbon footprint could reach 3.2% of global emissions by 2025. Teja Potočnik, a 26-year-old Slovenian researcher, is working to change that.
Her invention – an automated nanomaterial integration platform – optimises the manufacture of advanced semiconductor devices, otherwise known as chips. These advanced chips, in turn, power the servers and hardware that run today's data centres. By enabling the production of more energy-efficient chips, her innovation directly contributes to reducing the massive energy consumption of data centres worldwide.
'The problem we are solving is the ever-increasing demand for faster, more efficient and more powerful microchips. This is because of the demand of AI, quantum computing and data storage users', Potočnik explains, 'Our invention can help with the manufacture of more energy-efficient chips using nanomaterials, which means that there can be enormous energy savings.'
This pioneering project has earned her a place among the selected innovators honoured at the 2025 Young Inventors Prize, awarded by the European Patent Office.
As chips become smaller and more powerful, manufacturers are turning to materials like graphene, carbon nanotubes and quantum dots to push performance boundaries. But while these nanomaterials hold immense promise, integrating them at scale remains a major challenge.
Potočnik's invention, LithoTag, addresses that bottleneck. By embedding nanoscale markers into semiconductor wafers, the platform enables precise alignment and integration of nanomaterials with high repeatability. This bridges the gap between laboratory research and industrial manufacturing.
'The industry cares about reliability, replicability, and integration into manufacturing processes,' she says. 'No matter how good a technology is, it holds little value if it can't be scaled.'
Originally from Slovenia, Potočnik moved to the UK to study materials science and engineering, where she says she 'fell in love with nanomaterials'.
Potočnik co-founded the startup Nanomation while completing her PhD in nanofabrication at the University of Cambridge. With backing from Cambridge Enterprise, she and her team filed a patent application and began exploring commercial partnerships with chip manufacturers.
But it's not just about business: Potočnik's work directly supports the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – by improving the scalability of sustainable microelectronics. It could lead to more energy-efficient consumer devices and data centre infrastructure, with widespread environmental benefits.
Looking ahead, Potočnik envisions her technology becoming standard in advanced electronics manufacturing. 'The real advantage of our technology is that it can be applied to any material and any sort of electronic design, so we really hope to become the industry standard in integrating nanomaterials into advanced circuits,' she explains.
Beyond the lab, the young Slovenian innovator hopes her story will encourage others to pursue bold, scalable ideas that can make a difference.
'To all the inventors who are thinking about realising their new idea, I would say just have an open mind and be brave,' Potočnik advises.
