Germany’s bid to catch up on digital age hinges on 5G auction

FILE- In this Sept. 26, 2018, file photo visitors stand near a 5G logo at a display the PT Expo in Beijing. A handful of Verizon customers will soon have faster wireless service, but they’ll have to pay $10 a month more. Verizon says it’ll flip the switch next month on a much-hyped, next-generation “5G” phone network. Service will start in parts of Chicago and Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

Germany’s effort to catch up to the digital age starts this week when the gavel falls on the auction for the airwaves to build ultra-fast 5G wireless networks. 

The rollout of the technology is critical as Europe’s biggest economy seeks to transition away from its reliance on old-school engineering. The country lags behind the likes of Qatar, Albania and Moldova when it comes to mobile internet speeds, and its clunky network is becoming a handicap in the transition to a data-based economy.