Nokia has cast doubt on Europe's AI ambitions, with Ericsson’s CEO espousing international 5G leadership ahead of this month’s World Economic Forum (WEF).

In a piece published this week on Nokia’s website, Marc Vancoppenolle, the vendor’s VP for European Geopolitical and Government Relations, claimed there was “a disconnect between the ambition and the ability to deliver” in Europe’s plan to become a leading AI continent.

This assertion was based on Nokia research claiming 75% of European business leaders believe current telecom infrastructure limits their ability to deliver on AI ambitions, with 45% suggesting these constraints would delay, constrain, or entirely limit investments.

“At present, Europe lags the U.S. and parts of Asia in areas such as network deployment, related investment levels, and scale. What we must remember primarily is that AI does not happen without advanced, trusted and future-proofed networks. Infrastructure is not a 'nice to have', it is a fundamental part,” Vancoppenolle argued.

Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm, meanwhile, mentioned Europe’s continental contenders in an opinion piece lauding both America and China’s lead in 5G. Published the same day, the piece came penned for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting taking place next week in Switzerland, of which both Ericsson and Nokia are partners.

“The transformative potential of 5G is already visible in China – a frontrunner in 5G standalone (SA) deployment – which identified it as critical national infrastructure early on. China’s dense network infrastructure and integrated mobile-first technology stack have fueled the growth of new ecosystems including robotics, a drone economy, and a multitude of automated ‘lighthouse factories,’" Ekholm wrote.

“The U.S. is also demonstrating its strength through market-driven innovation, leading in high-value 5G applications and AI integration," Ekholm continued. "It excels in utilizing 5G for fixed-wireless access, reshaping the broadband market while also pioneering open radio access networks and network APIs.”

While Europe isn’t mentioned in the Ericsson missive, its absence is glaring considering the gilding of both the U.S. and China. This is despite recent 5G wins for Ericsson in its homeland, such as deals with VodafoneThree and Vodafone Spain.

Ericsson’s U.S. standing on 5G seems mainly centered around its Texas-based 5G Smart Factory, as well as a 2024 AT&T contract win. The firm also has a fledgling Federal arm specializing in 5G and 6G services for U.S. defense agencies, which this week hired Federal Communications Commission (FCC) veteran and Trump darling Nathan Simington as its policy lead.

The giant also has a presence in China, which now finds a new rival perhaps in a wholly-owned Nokia Chinese venture announced last month. Analysts have placed the combined radio access network (RAN) revenue share in China for both firms at around 3% in total.

Nokia’s VP statement doesn’t mention the Middle Kingdom, but does push for further adoption of Europe’s 5G Security Toolbox standard to restrict “untrusted technology.” Nokia has been vocal in recent months in its desire to see the European Union (EU) kick out certain Chinese “high-risk” vendors from the continent.

“Intellectual property theft is a threat to Europe’s industrial future and only trusted technology should be used in core functions, systems and sectors. … In this context, the underlying connectivity should always be secure and trusted,” argued Vancoppenolle, calling for the Toolbox to be extended to all telecom technologies, including fiber and optics.

“[It should be] made compulsory in all EU Member States. European governments must put high priority in protecting their industries and citizens.”

Analyst John Strand recently told this title that only 13 out of 27 EU countries have fully or partially implemented the 5G Toolbox, with major European telecom operators such as Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom still relying extensively on Huawei gear.

Strand elaborated that T-Mobile’s networks are largely Huawei-based, with 100% penetration in Greece, Austria, and the Czech Republic, 70% in Poland, 58% penetration in Germany, and 50% in Croatia. In addition, the firm’s T-Systems cloud business resells Huawei cloud solutions to European customers.

As well as calling on the building of European AI data centers such as its Nscale Stargate deal, leadership in edge computing, and AI-based upskilling, the Finnish giant echoed calls for regulatory harmonization of EU guidelines, something which has seen some streamlining on behalf of Brussels recently.

Vancoppenolle also criticized the continent’s spectrum policies – but this may see some balm with European telecom operators possibly getting their hands on unlimited spectrum with the EU’s new Digital Networks Act.

While rivals, both Nokia and Ericsson stressed the importance of 5G in their AI-led discourse, with the former suggesting more investment in 5G SA would help drive the networks needed to power AI.

Ekholm agreed, arguing “the world needs a more comprehensive 5G coverage, particularly through 5G SA.”

“As we enter this next wave of mobile technology, 5G and 6G networks must be treated as critical national infrastructure. The goal should be an open, interoperable tech stack spanning 5G and 6G, cloud, semiconductors, and AI, built on shared standards,” he added for the WEF audience.