Our latest global trend benchmark covers 5G policies, regulations, and commercial reality across 20 jurisdictions around the world, in particular:

• Status of 5G network deployments and 5G commercial offers;
• Government strategies and actions that promote the deployment of 5G networks and their evolution towards 6G;
• 5G spectrum assignments, including the main terms and conditions in 5G licences.

Main takeaways

• The year 2025 represents a midpoint between the first commercial launches of 5G networks and the expected first launches of 6G networks.
• 5G is now widely available in all the developed economies and in some of the emerging economies covered in this benchmark. In a few of the jurisdictions, governments already issued the first strategies and plans for 6G.
• This benchmark shows that all governments tried to facilitate 5G deployments by mobile network operators (MNOs), for example by adopting incentives programmes, or fast-tracking permits for new base stations.
• In terms of spectrum assignments, there has been a wide variety of approaches around the world in the frequency bands made available for 5G and licensing methods.  5G licence terms and conditions in each spectrum assignment also vary significantly across jurisdictions. 
• Governments restrict the use of 5G technologies provided by vendors that are deemed to pose risks to national security in less than half of the jurisdictions covered in this benchmark.

The benchmark on 5G and beyond covers in detail: Australia, Brazil, China, the EU, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, the Philippines (new), Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK, the US, and Vietnam (new).

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