HAKOM: 130,000 new broadband subscriptions in one year

PRESS RELEASE
Internet access is still growing – the number of broadband subscriptions increased by over 10 percent, when compared to the end of 2012. At the end of 2013, it amounted to ca. 1,350,000. Broadband penetration exceeded 31 percent.
 
ZAGREB, 26 February 2014 – In fixed communication networks, broadband is becoming a predominant manner of service provision so that the share of revenue from the Internet access services in Q4 2013 exceeded the share of revenues from telephone services in the fixed network. This trend is also influenced by mobile broadband and the related use of smartphones. Over the past year, the number of users which access the Internet via their mobile phones increased by over 20 percent, while mobile broadband traffic almost doubled when compared to 2012.
 
At the same time, investments in 2013 increased by 18 percent on average compared to 2012. Such a trend is also expected in the forthcoming period. In mobile network, investments in LTE are expected, i.e. in the fourth-generation mobile communications protocol, while in fixed network, higher investments are expected in fibre infrastructure.
 
In addition to broadband access, pay-TV will remain the main area of growth, whose revenues have increased by about 17 percent in this quarter, when compared to the same period of last year. That is, convergent services are a trend among most of the operators, which have precedence before those offering one or two services. This has also resulted in the growth of bundled services, so that for the first time at the end of 2013, 60 percent of broadband subscribers used bundled services.
 
In the forthcoming period, the consolidation of fixed network operators’ activity is expected, which also marked the previous year.
 
Information on the market situation is also available on HAKOM’s website: default.aspx?id=60.
 
 
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For additional information please contact:
Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency (HAKOM)
Ulica Roberta Frangeša Mihanovića 910110 Zagreb
Tel. + 385 (0)1 700 70 07
Fax. + 385 (0)1 700 70 70
 
 
Media inquiries can be submitted online using HAKOM’s official website: https://www.hakom.hr
Registration required.
 
ABOUT HAKOM:
HAKOM (www.hakom.hr) – The Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency – 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’s 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.