5G for Smart Communities Support Platform

These two studies prepared by the 5G for Smart Communities (5GSC) Support Platform map public funding support for 5G deployment across all EU-27 Member States.

The first study covers the 2022–2024 period and looks ahead to planned support schemes for 2025–2027. The second study spans 2025 and includes a forward-looking assessment of 5G investment needs under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034. Together, they capture the state of national 5G investment, highlight best practices and use case trends, and present national project repositories. Both are based on survey responses from Broadband Competence Offices (BCOs), complemented by interviews and desk research.

As Europe advances its digital and connectivity agenda, these studies offer essential reference material for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and communities alike.

Highlights

• During the period 2022–2025, 13 of the 27 EU Member States implemented national public support measures for 5G investment, covering the deployment of 5G infrastructure, the development of 5G use cases, or both.

• The total identified public budget allocated to 5G-related investment throughout 2022-2025 in these 13 Member States amounts to at least EUR 2.91 billion, with support directed predominantly towards infrastructure deployment. Measures dedicated exclusively to infrastructure account for approximately 77% of the total identified budget.

• Over 90% of the budgets identified above and associated with 5G support measures were adopted or entered implementation in 2022 and 2023, reflecting the significant stimulus to investment generated by the new generation of post-2020 EU funding instruments.

• Public funding remains highly concentrated geographically. Italy and Spain account for by far the largest identified funding envelopes, each mobilising more than EUR 1 billion over the period concerned.

• By Q1 2026 the identified schemes account for at least 653 approved projects. Of these, 39% relate to 5G infrastructure deployment, 17% support both infrastructure and use cases, and 43% concern 5G use cases only.

• Across the 27 schemes identified, explicit targeting of 5G SA remains limited. Only two measures were reported as supporting 5G SA exclusively, suggesting that most schemes continue to support deployment in broader technological terms rather than prioritising 5G SA-specific roll-out. The extent to which publicly supported measures are directed toward exclusive 5G SA deployment, and the factors that may constrain such targeting, falls outside the scope of the present study and may merit further examination.

• Looking ahead, the study points to continued, albeit more targeted, public support for 5G. While in most countries winding up the implementation of existing measures is currently under way, 6 of the 25 respondents to the survey (5 EU Member States and Norway) indicated plans for new support measures during 2026-2027, mainly focused on infrastructure deployment. Furthermore, the assessment of needs for the next MFF highlights underserved areas, public-service applications, enabling infrastructure, cybersecurity and the scaling-up of advanced use cases as key priorities for future intervention.

Highlights

• €2.44 billion invested in 5G pilot projects by 10 of 27 Member States over the past three years

• 90% of funds allocated to 5G infrastructure roll-out (access and backhaul)

• Only 10% dedicated to 5G use cases, either standalone or combined with infrastructure projects

• Spain and Italy accounted for the majority of the total budget, focused primarily on infrastructure

• Seven countries funded 5G use case projects, targeting key sectors (main verticals addressed: transport, defence & security, and healthcare)

• Seven Member States plan to launch new 5G support schemes in the next three years. More initiatives may follow, depending on emerging national needs