A1 Croatia’s Record-Breaking Investments in 2023
2023 marked a significant year for A1 Croatia as the company reported a record-breaking investment of more than 200 million euros in infrastructure construction – the highest it has ever been since they commenced their operations in Croatia.
Advancements in Network Connectivity
The fruits of such massive investment were visible in the accelerated construction of fixed gigabit connections and the modernisation of the mobile network. A1 Croatia has the largest gigabit fixed network in the country, offering commercial speeds of up to 2 Gbps with premium equipment. In 2023 alone, the company built 140 thousand gigabit optical connections across Croatia.
Ready for Future Demands
The infrastructure equipment being installed in A1’s optical network as part of the modernisation process already supports speeds of up to 50 Gbps. This makes it future-ready to meet all user needs. As of now, 800 thousand Croatian households have access to an A1 gigabit connection. With the continuation of accelerated construction, the company expects to cover one million households by 2025. This would mean that 70 percent of Croatian households will have access to gigabit internet.
EU Funded Optical Network
Additionally, with the help of EU funds, A1 Croatia was able to build an optical network for 45 thousand households in the broader areas of Kaštela, Ivanić-Grad, and Solin. It is worth noting that Solin is the first Croatian city to be fully covered by an optical network built with EU funds. This project earned recognition from the European Commission, which awarded A1 Croatia with the EU Broadband Award for being a leader in constructing a very large capacity network.
Investment in Radio Frequency Spectrum
The company also invested EUR 109.28 million at a public auction to secure licenses for the use of the radio frequency spectrum. This investment ensured long-term resources that form the basis for ambitious growth plans and investments in the development of mobile services over the next 15 years. The modernisation and construction of the mobile 5G network now cover 92 percent of the population. Energy-efficient radio equipment using the frequency spectrum in the 700, 800, and 900 MHz bands on a single radio amplifier ensures high-quality 5G coverage, while also optimising electricity consumption. Over 200 base stations have implemented solar panels and innovative free cooling systems, saving almost 2 GWh of electricity.
Aiming for a Green Network
Vladimir Skender, the General Director for the A1 Croatia network, stated that the significant investments and modernisation of the network and IT infrastructure are the basis for providing all services and ensuring the highest level of user experience. He added, “We want our users to be surfing on a completely green network by 2030, and that’s why we develop and apply innovations that reduce the carbon footprint.”
Reducing CO2 Emissions
So far, A1 Croatia has managed to reduce its own CO2 emissions by 76 percent through various initiatives to modernise the infrastructure and green the network. The company is on track to achieve the ambitious goal of the Telekom Austria Group, which is to have zero net CO2 emissions by 2030.
