HAKOM: The Beginning of Summer Announced the Influence of Seasonal Effect and the Operators Continue Network Investment

ZAGREB, September 1, 2015 - In the second quarter of 2015, an increase in the operator’s investments into the network is visible compared to the previous quarter of the same year. Operators' investments into the construction of new base stations and the equipment modernization will provide the end-users with the high- speed and high -quality Internet access. In addition to it the operators' investments into their own networks have also influenced the increased number of users who have Internet access via cellular phones. Thus, at the end of the second quarter, more than 72 percent of the population in the Republic of Croatia had Internet access via the mobile network.

The increased number of package users of Internet access service with the speeds from 10 to 30 Mbit / s indicates that even the fixed network operators have continued with network investments, which are also higher than in the first quarter of this year.

A further increase of service packages shows the expected preferences of the end-users, meaning, the increased number of different services with one operator. In this quarter, there is an increasing number of package services of 4 % compared with March 2015. Moreover, the end-users have started to use the so-called 4D packages, combining the services within fixed and mobile networks whose share in the service packages is exceeding 4%. In the upcoming period, this convergence of services between the two technologically different networks - fixed and mobile, where users are not interested in how the service is technologically provided but price and quality are important to them, there will be enough space for the growth and new innovative products in the market of electronic communications.
 

ABOUT HAKOM: HAKOM (www.hakom.hr) - Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries – ensures preconditions for a fair market competition, stable growth and environment for innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market. HAKOM protects users’ interests and the possibility of choice among various communications and postal services at affordable prices, defines sustainable competitive conditions for operators and service providers under fair conditions for return on investment, and provides support to economic growth, public services and the quality of life in the Republic of Croatia by using modern technologies. HAKOM’ strategic goals are: to promote regulation of the electronic communications and postal services market, to support growth of investments and innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market, to provide efficient use of limited resources, to accelerate the growth of broadband products and services, to provide affordable offers of communications and postal services, to provide protection and informing of users, to build an efficient and comprehensive information system, to define and implement efficient processes, and to acquire multi-disciplinary competencies in market regulation.