Basic 5G now reaches 96.8 percent of European Union households, but the bloc still trails its fiber and digital capacity targets. The European Commission’s 2026 State of the Digital Decade report, published June 17, says the next challenge is building faster networks and helping businesses use them.
The same report says 46.7 percent of EU companies use cloud computing, 39.9 percent use data analytics and nearly one in five use artificial intelligence. AI adoption rose 48 percent in 2025 compared with 2024. These figures describe different technologies and do not mean that companies use them in the same way.
More than 60 percent of Europeans have at least basic digital skills, the Commission says. Yet the share of workers in information and communications technology remains below the EU’s 2030 target. Smaller firms also face barriers involving skills, access to data and infrastructure.
The report tracks goals under the Digital Decade program, the EU framework for reaching digital targets by 2030. It asks member states to update their national plans and align investments with the next long-term EU budget. The report is an official progress review, not an independent audit of every national project.
A high 5G coverage rate does not guarantee fast fiber connections or broad business adoption. The report shows how infrastructure and practical use can move at different speeds.
