Newsletter 30 – August 2023

5G PPP PMR 2022

The PMR 2022 reports the progress achieved by the 5G Public-Private Partnership (5G PPP) during 2022, including the activities that were performed by the 5G Initiative (i.e., 5G PPP Projects, 5G PPP working groups, Steering and Technology Boards), the 6G-IA and the European Commission.

European Alliance for Industrial Data, Edge and Cloud presents its first deliverables

The updated cloud-edge strategic industrial roadmap is a collective effort of the main European cloud and edge industry players to identify areas of investment for the joint development and deployment of the next generation of European cloud and edge technologies.  It serves as crucial input for the European Commission in the definition of the upcoming European digital investment programmes, ensuring their alignment with the strategies, needs and goals of European businesses. All in all, the roadmap will strengthens Europe’s position in cloud and edge technologies and fosters the emergence of a vibrant and competitive European Cloud and Edge industrial ecosystem and market.

The Aeronautics, Security and Defence sector faces yet stricter security requirements when handling information in the cloud. The lack of harmonization in the accreditation of cloud solutions and cloud-based collaborative platforms, as well as in the protection and security of sensitive information that would cover the whole lifecycle of industrial programmes and projects in this sector are among the main challenges that have driven the effort of this working group. The result is a set of functional requirements of a potential industrial digital collaboration platform, that will pave the way for a standardised, highly secure, and accredited framework for a cloud-based collaboration architecture and its governance, creating trust among Member States and safeguarding data from unauthorised access.

Finally, as envisaged in the Data Strategy the Commission is currently also working on delivering a non-binding Commission Guidance on common European standards and requirements for the public procurement of data processing services. The Guidance will ensure a harmonised European approach to public procurement of such services and the corresponding practices in public sector bodies across the Member States. To reflect the needs and requirements on the side of the Member States public administrations, input for the Guidance was prepared in collaboration with Member States experts gathering under the Alliance Member States Cloud Cooperation Group. As part of the 2nd Alliance Forum, the Commission also consulted a broad range of relevant stakeholders, including data processing service providers and consumers whose feedback will be duly considered in the drafting of the forthcoming Guidance.

European Industrial Technology Roadmap for the Next-Generation Cloud-Edge 

More information is available on the EC website.

2030 Digital Decade: Commission adopts indicators to monitor Europe’s digital transformation and issues guidance to Member States

Commission announces next steps on cybersecurity of 5G networks in complement to latest progress report by Member States

5G Status

By the end of 2023, it would have been launched by more than 80 countries* and in 200+ networks around the world. It continues to be rolled out globally and is gradually integrating new features.

The 2nd 5G wave is taking shape. Since early launches in 2018, 5G has been widely adopted in advanced wireless markets. 5G adoption is increasing in less advanced markets and becoming mainstream in advanced markets. It starts to spread in less advanced markets (India, Philippines, Malaysia, Peru, Mexico, Brazil…) and in Africa.

Adoption continues to grow at a rapid pace in advanced markets and consumer interest increases. Subscriber uptake is particularly impressive in China and in South Korea. As at end December 2022, more than 1 out of 3 mobile connection* is a 5G one (5G price plan with a 5G smartphone), thanks to subsidised smartphones and/or cheap pricing plans, sometimes cheaper than 4G plans. Subscriber numbers in other countries remain low. MNOs are now focusing on improving 5G coverage, primarily outdoor but also indoor coverage: in 10+ countries, outdoor coverage reached 80%* of the population.

There will be more than 6.7 billion 5G subscriptions* worldwide by the end of 2028. The 1 billion subscription mark was overtaken in 2022 at world level.

In Europe, 31 countries enjoy commercial 5G services. 5G is live in every EU-27 Member States as well as in Norway, Switzerland, and the UK. In EU27, only Poland has not launched 5G yet. National governments are more and more keen to provide additional funding for 5G Advanced and 6G.

• Only Poland (in EU27 +Norway, Switzerland, UK) has not assigned 700 MHz spectrum yet.
• Only Netherlands, Romania and Poland (and Balkan countries) have not assigned 3.5 GHz spectrum yet.
• Spectrum within 26 GHz frequencies has already been assigned in six Member States and eight European countries (EU-countries and Norway, Switzerland). Local licences are available on demand in some countries. Some Member States rescheduled 26 GHz auctions later.
• 80% of the population* is covered by 5G in EU-27 with approx. 300,000 base stations: in one year, outdoor coverage increased from 65% to 80% while the number of 5G base stations doubled from 150,000 to 300,000.

Major US and Canadian mobile network operators launched 5G commercial services months ago. The US players were among the first to launch 5G services on mmWave frequencies. 5G is now expanding in South American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, and Uruguay). Auctions in Brazil, Chile and the Dominican Republic led to new 5G roll-outs in 2022. More auctions are expected in the region (Canada mid-band and mmWave), Mexico (mid-band), Uruguay (3.5 GHz), Colombia (700 MHz, 3.5 GHz).

Asia-Pacific shows wide disparities in terms of 5G deployment. It enjoys various quality 5G experiences, particularly in mature markets like South Korea and Taiwan while 5G has not yet been launched in many less-advanced markets. It will account for the lion’s share of 5G subscriptions between 2020 and 2028. In India, 5G was launched late in 2022 after the August 5G multi-band spectrum auctions. India ended the year 2022 with more than 6 million 5G subscriptions*: it is expected to reach more than 50 million 5G subscriptions* at year-end 2023, or to attrack more than 4 million per month. The volume effect of China and India will push Asia-Pacific 5G subscriptions to exceed the 1 billion* mark sometimes in 2023. The 2 billion 5G base stations has been passed in China in 2023.

As the world-first single wholesale model 5G network launched in March 2022 in Malaysia reached 80% of population coverage, the Government allowed a 2nd 5G network.
*IDATE SAS forecasts