Strong growth in internet traffic in the second quarter

ZAGREB, 11 September 2020 – in the second quarter of 2020, specific working conditions due to the Civil pandemic continued on the ELECTRONIC communications market .19. Primary and secondary schools and institutions for higher education performed instruction online, and most companies in the Republic of Croatia introduced work from home. Given the situation, the data traffic, as well as the number of minutes in the mobile telephone network, was expected to increase compared to the same period in 2019. In April, data traffic reached record consumption in relation to all previous measurements, a total of 191 PB. Compared to April 2019, this is an increase of 58%. At the quarterly level, data traffic grew 46% in relation to the same period in 2019.

In comparison to the same period last year, the total number of outgoing minutes in the mobile network increased by 18 percent. At the same time, total mobile phone revenues dropped 17 per cent. Also, the second quarter shows the impact of the pandemic and the travel ban, so that roaming minutes of own users fell 20%, as well as the duration of calls by foreigners in roaming national networks, 52%, parallel to the same period in 2019.

In the first half of 2020, total revenue on the electronic communications market decreased by 5.4 per cent year-on-year. The decline in total revenues was mostly influenced by a 14.2 percent drop in revenues from telephone services in immobile and mobile networks, while 2.8 percent growth in revenues on the internet broadband market and 2.6 percent growth on the billing television market from the first half of 2019.

Although total investments in the immovable network rose by 7.7 per cent, growth was mostly generated by an increase in investment in intangible assets, while investments in tangible assets fell. Therefore, more investments in broadband access infrastructure are needed in the coming period in order to maintain the positive growth trend of high-speed broadband connections. On the other hand, investments in network equipment grew by 7.2 percent in relation to the first half of 2019.

Looking at broadband connections in the fixed network, the number of connections via light-water access technology continues to show the greatest increase, with about 10% of users achieving broadband internet access via FTTH/FTTB connections. More than 39% of immobile users access the internet at speeds greater than 30 Mbit/s, or more than 11% at speeds greater than 100 Mbit/s. The number of 4D package users exceeded the number of 3D packages for the first time and it can be expected that in the next year the largest number of users will use 4D packages. As far as the Television Service is concerned, more than half of the users use IPTV technology, while 44% of households still do not have a tolling service.

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.