This report examines the global race for 5G and 6G leadership through a comparative analysis of regulation, R&D investment, patenting, and the rollout of next-generation networks and services across Europe, the United States, and Asia. The United States leads in digital services and semiconductors, while Asia dominates telecommunications infrastructure and hardware. Europe’s strengths lie in telecom equipment and specific semiconductor niches but remain too narrow to offset weaknesses in digital platforms and data-driven services. Patent data highlight Asia’s stronger position in 5G technologies, while R&D spending confirms U.S. leadership in areas less visible in patent counts yet vital for long-term innovation and value creation. Europe performs relatively well in 5G network deployment and services in some member states but lacks the scale in digital services and innovation ecosystems needed for global leadership.
The EU’s comprehensive digital regulation has particularly strengthened privacy protection but risks constraining innovation. To remain a meaningful player in the 6G era, Europe must align its regulatory ambitions with its production and innovation capacities and its investment incentives. Without such recalibration, well-intentioned regulation may ultimately erode the competitiveness it seeks to protect.
