BRUSSELS : Europe is falling behind other regions and needs to invest massively in its telecoms network to achieve its digital goals, EU industry chief Thierry Breton said on Tuesday as he defended a push to get Big Tech to help fund the rollout of broadband and 5G.
"In terms of 5G deployment, the EU lags behind other regions of the world. Just for some figures, 5G population coverage is 95 per cent in the U.S. versus 72 per cent in the EU. Adjusted for GDP, 5G investment in the EU is lower than in other regions of the world," he said. He dismissed fears that requiring some users to pay more than others would breach EU net neutrality rules which say all users should be treated equally.