The future of 5G and beyond: Leadership, deployment and European policies

Strategic rethinking of the policies that promote 5G development and deployment in Europe is needed, as they are crucial in determining the future impact of 5G and later 6G on the digital economy. Considering the current state of 5G deployment and insights that have emerged from the debate on 5G technological leadership, there is a need for a more effective and proactive policy from the European Union (EU) in this field. Research suggests the development of industrial policy that contrasts fragmentation in the telecommunications sector by taking the whole EU as the scale of action, instead of just the individual member states. To remain globally relevant and competitive in this race, the EU may need to start treating the development and deployment of 5G, and in the future of 6G, as a true Single Market issue.