Strategic Partnerships Power 5G Expansion in Europe and Africa: A Pathway to Digital Transformation

The global race to deploy 5G infrastructure is accelerating, with Europe and Africa emerging as focal points of strategic collaboration. As governments and private firms align to bridge digital divides and unlock economic potential, partnerships are proving critical to overcoming fragmented markets, high deployment costs, and regulatory hurdles. This analysis examines how cross-border alliances are reshaping the telecom landscape in both regions, offering insights for investors navigating this dynamic sector.

Europe: A Coordinated Push for 5G Supremacy

Europe's 5G strategy hinges on centralized coordination and cross-border partnerships. The European Commission, through initiatives like the Global Gateway and Horizon Europe, has allocated €300 million to advance 5G research and deployment, with a focus on industrial policy integration to counteract sector fragmentation, according to the 5G Observatory 2025. The Blue Raman submarine cable project-a 11,700 km link connecting Europe, Africa, and India-exemplifies this approach, aiming to operationalize high-speed data corridors by 2025, according to the Global Gateway update.

Key players like Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, and Orange are leading hybrid 5G deployments, blending public and private networks to offer scalable solutions for enterprises. By September 2024, 18 European operators had launched 5G standalone (SA) services, with the GSMA projecting 80% 5G adoption by 2030 and an additional €164 billion in economic value, according to an Omdia forecast. The EU's recent €865 million investment in 5G and gigabit connectivity further underscores its commitment to maintaining global competitiveness, as noted in a GSMA report.

Africa: Partnerships as a Catalyst for Leapfrogging

Africa's 5G expansion remains nascent but is gaining momentum through targeted partnerships. MTN Group's alliance with Huawei, for instance, aims to generate $15 billion in economic value by 2025, leveraging cloud-based technologies to accelerate digital adoption, according to an MWC 2025 report. Similarly, Orange Africa and Eutelsat's satellite internet initiative is addressing connectivity gaps in underserved regions like Jordan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to MWC coverage.

Despite $28 billion in investments over five years, 5G adoption in Africa remains low, with only 1% of the population connected as of September 2025, the 5G Observatory reported. Nigeria, the continent's largest telecom market, has 3.1% 5G penetration, while South Africa leads with 13%, the Observatory added. Challenges such as high device costs, spectrum scarcity, and limited infrastructure persist, but forward-looking regulatory reforms and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) innovations are expected to drive growth. Omdia forecasts 5G penetration to surge to 25.6% by 2029, with 427 million subscriptions contributing $10 billion to Africa's economy, the Omdia analysis indicates.