The latest GSMA report has revealed 5G investment and revenue trends, 5G subscriber growth, and challenges in Europe during 2024-2030.
By the end of 2024, 5G represented 30 percent of mobile connections in Europe, totaling over 200 million, with adoption rates exceeding 40 percent in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK.
While other regions like North America, East Asia, and GCC states have higher 5G adoption levels, Europe’s progression towards standalone 5G (SA) and 5G-Advanced remains slower due to investment challenges.
Europe accounted for 88 percent mobile penetration in 2024, with 520 million users expected to grow to 527 million by 2030.
Mobile Internet
Mobile internet users in Europe numbered 471 million in 2024, projected to reach 494 million by 2030, while 5G penetration is anticipated to climb from 30 percent in 2024 to 80 percent in 2030.
Mobile data traffic in Europe grew from 3.8 GB per connection in 2019 to 15.3 GB in 2024, projected to reach nearly 50 GB per connection per month by 2030, driven by increased smartphone adoption and high-bandwidth applications like video streaming, GSMA said.
IoT
Cellular IoT connections are forecasted to grow from 322 million in 2024 to 545 million in 2030.
Top smartphone markets in Europe are Germany (111 million), UK (83 million), Italy (74 million), France (70 million), and Ukraine (56 million).
Revenue
Despite significant 5G growth, mobile revenue in Europe remains low, driven by the slow monetization of advanced 5G use cases.
Operator revenue is expected to rise from €163 billion in 2024 to €177 billion in 2030.
Capex
Cumulative capital expenditure or Capex of telecom operators in Europe will be €175 billion during 2024-2030. Mobile operators are increasingly focusing on 5G standalone networks to unlock new opportunities.
European mobile operators have invested over €160 billion in mobile capex over the
past five years, much of which has been spent on 5G networks. Mobile capex/revenue in the region was 16 percent at the end of 2023, likely marking the peak of the 5G investment cycle. However, mobile Capex is still projected to surpass €25 billion in
each year to 2030.
As legacy networks phase out, 2G and 3G accounted for less than 10 percent of mobile connections by 2024, with Europe witnessing 44 network sunsets by Q3 2024, about one-third of global sunsets. More than half of the planned network sunsets for 2025 are expected in Europe, enabling spectrum repurposing for 4G and 5G while enhancing energy efficiency.
Europe has played a leading role in the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, with 67 operator groups representing 75 percent of global mobile connections. In Europe, operators have prioritized API launches for fraud prevention and security, with use cases like SIM Swap and Number Verification APIs.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
