Persistent low uptake of 5G deployment in Europe mean other technologies dependent on fast internet such as artificial intelligence will face delays in uptake, according to a European Commission official. In its State of Digital Communications report published yesterday, telecom lobby group ETNO also warned that significant additional investment in roll-out is still needed before EU targets to reach full 5G and full gigabit coverage by the end of this decade are achieved. In 2023, 5G in Europe reached 80% of the population, up from 73% the previous year, whereas the level is 98% in South Korea and the US and 94% in Japan. The report confirms that at the end of the decade, around 40 million people in the EU will still have no access to a fixed gigabit connection.