• The volume of mobile data traffic in Europe is set to triple in the next five years.
• 5G is expected to be the dominant mobile technology in Europe by 2027.
• The mobile sector’s economic contribution in Europe is expected to exceed €1tn by 2030.

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According to the GSMA, the volume of data traffic running over Europe’s mobile networks is set to triple over the next five years. The growth in traffic will be driven by increasing improvements in 5G coverage and capacity, and the mass uptake of 4G in eastern and central Europe.

The GSMA report adds that Europe’s 5G subscribers are already playing a major part in driving increased data and video traffic volumes as they opt for access to high-bandwidth services and high-definition content. The demand for high-quality gaming, extended reality and video content continues to accelerate. The GSMA estimates that the mobile sector’s economic contribution in Europe in 2022 was €910bn and that the sector’s annual economic contribution is on course to exceed €1tn by 2030. The new GSMA report also shows that, last year, mobile technologies and services were responsible for 4.3% of Europe’s GDP (gross domestic product). The GSMA points out that operators continue to face real investment challenges as bandwidth demands grow. The growing pressures on mobile wireless networks will mean that operators will have to continue to plough heavy capital investment into upgrading their infrastructure as bandwidth demand continues to grow. The GSMA says that the region’s operators are expected to have invested €198bn by 2030 on network upgrades and that figure could easily rise by many billions more when, or if, 5G demand hits critical mass. The report also claims that 5G will become the dominant mobile technology in Europe by 2027 and will be available to 87% of all European users by 2030. 5G will be of great benefit to a wide range of business sectors and European economies. The GSMA cautions that 5G growth could be stunted by policies holding back investment in next-generation network technologies in Europe. The GSMA cites as an example that European adoption of more capable ‘standalone’ 5G continues to lag behind other regions.

The GSMA’s VP for policy and regulation, and head of Europe, Daniel Pataki, commented, “Europe has a strong history of leadership in mobile and digital technologies, but strong, sustained investment in networks is now needed to regain that leadership in the face of global competition. We’re encouraged to see European policymakers now facing up to that reality and examining the potential for meaningful policy change in areas such as consolidation, spectrum harmonisation, and the creation of fairer investment models for infrastructure, as we go into 2024. Our report shows that action is needed now to give European citizens and businesses the digital infrastructure they need for the future.”