5G adoption continues to grow across Europe, but the user experience remains uneven, with major differences in speeds between countries. According to recent research, Poland has seen a remarkable 57% year-on-year increase in average 5G download speeds, while Sweden's average speed dropped by 23% in the same period. The study identifies spectrum availability and how it's utilized as key reasons behind these trends. Countries like Poland and the Netherlands experienced notable boosts after recent auctions enabled operators to leverage the powerful 3.5GHz band, moving away from their earlier dependence on lower-frequency bands. By contrast, some early 5G leaders—such as Sweden, Austria, and Finland—have seen speeds stagnate or decline due to growing network congestion and the need to work within existing infrastructure limitations. As 5G becomes more mainstream and user numbers rise, networks can struggle to keep up, especially when increasing capacity and upgrading network infrastructure demands heavy investment and time. Future advances in 5G, the study notes, will likely come from combining multiple frequency bands to support both higher speeds and broader coverage, particularly in rural areas. The 700MHz band, often tied to rural coverage requirements, is highlighted as especially important. Looking ahead, preparations for 6G are already underway in Europe, with expectations that next-generation networks will be able to handle much wider channel bandwidths. The way spectrum is assigned and used will continue to shape the connectivity experience across Europe.