The European Court of Auditors (ECA) calls for a new impetus to promote the development of 5G in the European Union in a special report published on Monday, noting that significant delays in the deployment of dedicated 5G networks in Member States are putting at risk the achievement of the EU's access and coverage targets.
The report notes that Cyprus is one of four member states that have not met the 2020 interim target for 5G technology access in at least one major city (the other three are Lithuania, Malta and Portugal).
Cyprus is also one of five countries which, according to the Commission, are considered to have a low probability of meeting the 2025 target (the others are Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia and Greece).
According to the auditors, further efforts are needed to address security issues related to the deployment of 5G "in a consistent and coordinated manner" as stated.
5G services, which is the new global wireless standard for mobile communications networks, are crucial for a wide range of applications "that are useful for many sectors of the EU economy and citizens' daily lives," the auditors stress.
According to estimates cited in the report, 5G could between 2021 and 2025 contribute up to €1 trillion to the European Union's GDP or transform up to 20 million jobs, it said.
The ECA report, however, also lists a number of risks, in particular "increased dependence due to the limited number of suppliers able to build and operate 5G networks, as well as risks associated with interference from hostile state actors."
As recalled in the report, in its 2016 Action Plan, the European Commission set a deadline of 2025 for the deployment of 5G both in all urban areas and on all major transport routes. In March last year, it set a further target of covering the entire EU with 5G by 2030. However, the auditors note that only half of the Member States have included these targets in their national 5G strategies.
The Commission has supported Member States in achieving these targets through various initiatives and by providing them with guidance and funding. However, it has never clearly defined the expected quality of 5G services. The auditors underline that this could lead to disparities in access and quality of 5G services across the EU, further widening the 'digital divide'.
"By 2025, up to EUR 400 billion will be spent across the EU on the deployment of 5G networks to support future economic growth and competitiveness. However, many Member States are lagging behind in this area, with the result that the EU is still far from reaping the benefits of 5G," said Annemie Turtelboom, Member of the European Court of Auditors responsible for the report.
All Member States, with the exception of Cyprus, Lithuania, Malta and Portugal, have achieved the interim target for 2020 for access to 5G technology in at least one major city.
However, many EU countries are not on track in terms of deploying their own 5G networks. The Commission considers that for 16 EU countries the likelihood of reaching the 2025 target is at best moderate (Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia) and at worst low (Belgium, Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Greece).
As of November 2021, 23 Member States had not yet transposed the EU directive which, among other actions, sets deadlines for the assignment of 5G pioneer zones. The auditors stress that at the current rate of implementation it is very likely that the EU's targets for the current decade will not be met.
5G deployment is inextricably linked to security issues. Suppliers based in EU countries are obliged to comply with EU standards and legal requirements. However, six of the eight largest suppliers, such as Huawei (China) and Samsung (South Korea), are not based in the EU, it is noted.
Third country legislative frameworks can diverge significantly from EU standards, for example regarding the protection of personal data. The auditors express concern that there is a potential for EU users to be subject to third country legislation in case control centres are located outside the EU.
The Commission, it is noted, reacted swiftly when 5G security became a major issue at EU level, adopting the EU Cybersecurity Toolkit for 5G networks in January 2020. However, by the time it was adopted it was already too late for some mobile network operators who had already selected their suppliers.
The auditors also point out that although 5G security concerns are cross-border in nature, publicly available information on how EU countries approach security issues, and in particular the issue of high-risk suppliers, is limited.
Source: CNA
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