While some European countries are consolidated as referents in the adoption of 5G, others still do not take off. This is revealed by the most recent Ookla report, corresponding to the second quarter of 2025, which exposes a Europe divided in the latest mobile connectivity.
According to the data analyzed, European users used 5G networks 44.5 % of the time, an improvement against 32.8 % recorded a year earlier. However, the average hidden figure different differences between the different countries of the continent.
Denmark, Sweden and Greece lead the European ranking, with 5G coverage higher than 75 %. Italy and Spain are also located in the head group, thanks to active deployment policies and the use of European recovery funds. In contrast, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Hungary show a much slower advance, with coverage that does not exceed 45 % in the best case.
The gap, according to experts, is not only geographical: it is also political. The most lagging countries have faced delays due to regulatory decisions, lack of incentives or administrative problems in spectrum allocation.
“This two -speed competitive panorama makes it clear that progress is not measured only by available technology, but by the ability to execute each country,” they warn in the report. “Policies have acted as a barrier, not as a catalyst for the deployment of 5G.”
Spain, reference in 5g standalone
One of the most striking data of the study is the prominence of Spain in the deployment of 5G SA (Standalone), the most advanced version of this technology. With 8 % adoption on the total samples analyzed, Spain leads in this field within the European Union, well above the continental average of 1.3 %.
This advantage responds, to a large extent, to the investments made to extend the coverage to rural areas and the early marketing of SA networks by the main national operators.
Europe, to the global rear
Despite the advances of some countries, Europe is still far from reaching other powers in the full adoption of 5G. The United States already exceeds 20 % adoption of 5G Standalone, while China touches 80 %. The regulatory fragmentation, the shortage of compatible devices and the lack of a joint impulse in the 5G core deployment are some of the factors that explain the delay of the continent.
With the 6G connectivity horizon in the sights, the race to close the internal and external gap becomes urgent so that Europe does not lose the train of the next digital revolution.
