Connectivity for all: of 8 internet and mobile network targets, 2 came true on time and two nearly did
- China: 5G masts by 2025132%
- US: 4G for 98% by 2016102%
- EU: 5G in cities by 202597%
- EU: broadband for all, 201396%
- EU: 30 Mbit/s for all, 202087%
- UK: gigabit by 202587%
- India: rural phones by 201781%
- Russia: 5G in 15 cities0%
Fact at the deadline, % of the target
Of 8 internet and mobile network targets, 2 came true on time and two nearly did.
By 2013 the EU had basic broadband for 95.7% of households against «all»; by 2025 the UK had gigabit for 87% of homes. Russia had no commercial fifth-generation network in any city by the end of 2024.
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Governments promise connectivity «for all»: fast internet in every home, a new-generation mobile network in every city. Here are eight such targets and how much of each was reached by the deadline.
A row is one promise: who, what and by when. The question is whether at least half came true. Answer Yes or No, or just open the answer: each row gets its outcome and what actually came of it, the card a stamp counting those that came true. Quotes and links to the facts are below.
- China: 5G masts by 2025 — Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, 2021 5G base stations per 10,000 people (computed: stations at year-end / population at year-end)
promised 26 by 2025; fact 34 (132%). At the end of 2025 China had 4.84 million 5G base stations, 34.4 per 10,000 people against a target of 26; passed in 2024.
- US: 4G for 98% by 2016 — Barack Obama, 2011 % of U.S. population covered by LTE of at least one provider
promised 98 by 2016; fact 100 (102%). In December 2016 LTE of at least one provider covered 99.7% of the U.S. population.
FCC, Twentieth Mobile Wireless Competition Report (FCC 17-126), Appendix III, Table III.D.v
- EU: 5G in cities by 2025 — European Commission, 2016 % of all EU27 households covered by 5G
promised 100 by 2025; fact 97 (97%). In 2025 5G covered 96.8% of EU households; the data has no separate figure for cities, roads and railways.
European Commission, Digital Decade / DESI dataset, indicator desi_5gcov, EU27, all households
- EU: broadband for all, 2013 — European Commission, 2010 % of EU27 households covered by fixed broadband
promised 100 by 2013; fact 96 (96%). In 2013 fixed broadband covered 95.7% of EU households; 97.3% by 2022.
European Commission, Digital Decade / DESI dataset, indicator bb_scov, EU27, all households
- EU: 30 Mbit/s for all, 2020 — European Commission, 2010 % of EU27 households covered by next-generation access (30 Mbps or more)
promised 100 by 2020; fact 87 (87%). In 2020 next-generation access of 30 Mbps or more covered 87.2% of EU households, and 91.5% in 2022.
European Commission, Digital Decade / DESI dataset, indicator bb_ngacov, EU27, all households
- UK: gigabit by 2025 — Conservative Party (UK), 2019 % of UK residential premises with access to a gigabit-capable network (July)
promised 100 by 2025; fact 87 (87%). By July 2025, 87% of UK residential premises had gigabit-capable broadband and 78% had full fibre.
- India: rural phones by 2017 — Department of Telecommunications of India, 2012 telephone connections per 100 rural residents at year end
promised 70 by 2017; fact 57 (81%). At the end of 2017 rural India had 56.66 telephone connections per 100 people against a target of 70; by 2020, 59.05.
- Russia: 5G in 15 cities — Government of Russia, 2017 million-plus cities with a commercial 5G network
promised 15 by 2024; fact 0 (0%). By the end of 2024 no Russian city had a commercial 5G network; the first commercial networks launched only in 2026, in 16 cities at once.
Targets: verbatim from the Digital Agenda for Europe, the Commission’s 5G action plan, a US presidential address, the Conservative manifesto, and plans of the governments of China, India and Russia. Fact: European Commission, telecom regulators and statistics offices, linked on the back for each row. Outcome: «came true» — the promised number reached by the deadline («about» within 5%), an event happened before the end of the year promised; «exceeded» — with room to spare; «nearly» — short by no more than 10%; «late» — reached, but after the deadline; «did not come true» — not reached; «came true, then undone» — reached, then reversed. The deadline is the end of the year named.
The targets are about coverage («can connect»), not subscriptions. China counts base stations per 10,000 people: 34.4 against 26. The EU 5G target is for all cities, the data for all households: there is no separate estimate for cities. Russia’s first commercial fifth-generation networks opened in 2026.
A question for this picture
The last few per cent of coverage cost the most: who should pay for them?