Spectrum Pricing and Renewals in Europe

Government decisions on spectrum pricing continue to impact mobile coverage and speeds. This latest report on spectrum pricing finds spectrum costs have risen sharply as a percentage of revenues, increasing the cost burden on operators and constraining critical network investments.

Digital infrastructure has been at the heart of social and economic progress in Europe for the better part of the last three decades. Today, nearly half a billion people across Europe are connected to the mobile internet, predominantly through high-speed 4G and 5G networks. Mobile technologies and services now generate around 5% of GDP across Europe, a contribution that amounts to almost $1.2 trillion of economic value added. 5G, in particular, is expected to benefit most sectors of the European economy, adding more than $160 billion of economic value by 2030.

Many European markets are lagging behind in terms of network quality and the deployment of advanced mobile networks. To quantify the investment required for Europe to meet its 5G goals and regain its global leadership in mobile connectivity, GSMA Intelligence conducted a detailed economic modelling exercise.