Five Years of 5G Deployment in Croatia: Coverage Reaches 90% of the Population and 99% of Motorways

Operators welcome the timely allocation of spectrum, while regulatory constraints and public opposition remain obstacles to further network expansion.

ZAGREB, 14 October 2026 - HAKOM’s 13th Market Day, an annual gathering of representatives from network operators, industry, regulatory authorities and the wider professional community, focused on current challenges and the future development of the electronic communications market. The event included a panel discussion marking five years of 5G deployment in Croatia. The panellists reviewed the progress made in deploying 5G networks and considered whether the technology had lived up to expectations, as well as identifying opportunities for further development and wider adoption. The discussion brought together Josip Brnić (A1), Hrvoje Hadžić (Ericsson NT), Ivan Uremović (HT), Antonio Krajinović (Huawei), Luka Aralica (Markoja), Goran Horvatić-Jambor (Nokia) and Ivan Sabljić (Telemach). The session was moderated by Danijel Vidaković (HAKOM), who opened with a brief overview of the activities undertaken and the progress achieved since 5G deployment began in Croatia.

Guided by the national development plan and EU guidelines, HAKOM has worked to ensure that both consumers and businesses in Croatia have the necessary conditions to develop and benefit from digital connectivity. Following spectrum allocation, which took place in two rounds, operators were required to meet specific network coverage obligations. Today, 5G networks cover 90% of the population in local government areas, 99% of motorways, 95% of railway lines and 50% of the population in rural areas. In addition, 200 radio stations operate in the 3.6 GHz band. The target for 2029 is to provide 5G coverage meeting the prescribed signal requirements to 99.4% of Croatia’s population. Coverage is also expected to be extended in the near future to a further 60 settlements and areas of particular interest that are currently without coverage. Several years ago, HAKOM’s spectrum allocation plan enabled the deployment of private 5G networks in the 2.6 GHz band. Last week, a new frequency allocation plan for the 3.8-4.2 GHz band was also adopted, implementing a European Commission decision. It was emphasised that these achievements have been underpinned by substantial investment from network operators.

“Twenty-five years ago, we first established 2G coverage, focusing on cities and motorways. Today, we have nationwide coverage, and our customers expect Netflix to work everywhere, on every road. This change in customer expectations alone shows how far we, as operators, have come in building the large, robust networks we have today. Spectrum is the foundation of network capacity, and it is important to understand the difference in capacity requirements between services. Providing data services to customers requires 400 times more capacity per unit than a voice call. That is why securing additional spectrum in 2021 was so important, enabling us to start deploying our 5G network. Customer demand is growing rapidly. The average user consumes 30 GB of data per month over the mobile network, while data traffic is increasing by 30% annually. During the first seven months of this year, the volume of data carried over HT’s mobile network was equivalent to the total volume carried throughout 2024. This makes network expansion essential, and access to 5G spectrum has been crucial in enabling it. 
 
Without 5G, our network would have collapsed, said Ivan Uremović (HT). He also noted that regulatory constraints and public opposition were hindering further network deployment and, consequently, the expansion of coverage. Josip Brnić highlighted the progress made in deploying 5G, noting that the process had been simpler and faster, primarily in response to customer needs. He also emphasised the need for greater awareness and education across the market. Looking ahead, he said that keeping pace with global market trends would be impossible without a well-developed 5G network. The challenges facing operators include public opposition and spatial planning regulations which, although they formally allow network development, significantly restrict it in practice. Establishing 5G infrastructure at new sites is becoming increasingly difficult.

Luka Aralica (Markoja) also expressed satisfaction with the progress made, noting that, as a regional operator, Markoja had not had to contend with legacy networks prior to the spectrum allocation. Ivan Sabljić (Telemach) likewise emphasised the importance of effective competition among operators and equipment manufacturers in supporting further development. Such competition, he noted, would foster innovation, improve access to technology and enhance cost efficiency.

The full conference recording is available here. The panel discussion, “Five Years of 5G in Croatia”, begins at 4:20:00.