Europe's 5G Standalone Delay Risks Widening Digital Divide with US and Asia

Europe's 5G Standalone (SA) rollout is lagging behind North America and Asia, creating a growing digital divide that could have long-term economic consequences, according to a new report from network intelligence firm Ookla and analyst group Omdia.

The Growing Capability Gap

The report, titled "A Global Reality Check on 5G SA and 5G Advanced," reveals that while the global adoption of 5G SA is progressing, regional differences are becoming increasingly apparent in capabilities rather than just coverage. North American tier-1 networks have completed their transition to 5G SA, and many Asian countries, including India, went directly to standalone deployments.

This puts these regions in a strong position to benefit from high-speed connectivity and improved responsiveness. In contrast, Europe's 5G SA coverage more than doubled between Q4 2024 and Q4 2025, driven by accelerated deployments in Austria, Spain, and the UK, but still trails significantly behind.

Why 5G SA Matters

5G SA refers to networks with both a 5G network core and a 5G radio access network. Many early adopters initially used a non-standalone approach, bolting new radios onto legacy networks as a stopgap. However, this approach failed to deliver the promised benefits of the new technology.

As the industry reaches the halfway point of the 5G lifecycle, 5G SA is now considered the foundation for building 5G Advanced capabilities. These advanced features include:

• Sub-band Full Duplex (SBFD) allowing devices to send and receive simultaneously
• Enhanced communications bottlenecks and reliability improvements
• New service delivery models

The Compounding Disadvantage

Operators that delayed SA deployment face a compounding disadvantage. Many 5G Advanced capabilities "benefit most from a fully deployed SA core as their foundation," the report states. This means that operators without mature SA foundations won't be able to roll out many 5G Advanced capabilities, creating a widening technology gap.

Europe's Performance Challenges

A separate report last year found that the UK's 5G networks are among the worst in Europe regarding performance and reliability. This has been attributed to various factors:

• Operators' reluctance to invest due to insufficient spectrum allocation
• Government mandates to rip and replace Huawei equipment instead of investing in network improvements
• Fragmented policy approaches across different countries

The Policy Factor

The report emphasizes that national policy frameworks are the primary factor in 5G SA competitiveness. Countries with clear coverage obligations linked to 5G SA adoption (such as Brazil) or investment incentives (Japan, Spain) show much better SA adoption and performance than those with reactive or fragmented policy approaches.

The UK's infrastructure consolidation policy, including the Three and Vodafone merger, is cited as a positive example, though observers note it's too early to judge its long-term impact on Britain's mobile users.

Battery Life Benefits

In a surprising finding, early data suggests that 5G SA networks may actually extend battery life for devices, contradicting earlier concerns that extra radio signaling would drain batteries faster. This could be a significant selling point for operators pushing 5G SA adoption.

The Strategic Window

Ookla warns that strategic decisions over the next two years will shape digital competitiveness for the coming decade. Countries treating 5G SA as a background migration rather than a strategic priority risk a structural technology gap that will only widen with 5G Advanced and the eventual transition to 6G.

The report's findings underscore the importance of viewing 5G SA not just as a network upgrade but as a critical foundation for future technological competitiveness. As the US and Asia continue to advance, Europe's delayed rollout could have significant economic implications in the years to come.