Target users of HAKOM-s aid programme ensured internet access speed of at least 30 Mbit/s

Target users such as schools, health care institutions, public institutions and volunteer firefighters  in the areas of special state concern, hilly and mountainous areas and on the islands, who had been ensured broadband connection at a minimum speed of 2 Mbit/s in the first stage, benefited from the increase of Internet access speed to the  minimum of 30 Mbit/s, in accordance with the Programme for Internet and Broadband Development in Areas of Special State Concern, Hilly and Mountainous Areas and Islands. 
 
ZAGREB, 19 October 2016 – The Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) conducted during August and September 2016 control measuring of implementation of the second-stage of the aid programme, that is, the measuring of minimum access speed of 30 Mbit/s for end users. In the first stage of programme implementation operators had to ensure to users the possibility to connect to the internet at a minimum speed of 2 Mbit/s, which was financed from HAKOM’s budget with almost HRK 21 million of state aid. The second stage of the programme ended in August of this year with the Internet access speed increased to a minimum of 30 Mbit/s for all end users, which is the operator’s obligation pursuant to the state aid contract and in compliance with the objectives of the Digital Agenda for Europe 2020. Target users are schools, health care institutions and volunteer firefighter associations in areas of special state concern, hilly and mountainous areas and on the islands.
 
HAKOM’s experts concluded on the basis of measuring that target users have been provided Internet access at a minimum speed of 30 Mbit/s. These are target users who were covered by the programme in five rounds of state aid procedures, while other users may expect to benefit from increased speed at the latest by the end of 2017, that is, by August 2018. 
 
As a reminder, in the course of 19 rounds of competitions under the Programme for Internet and Broadband Development in Areas of Special State Concern, Hilly and Mountainous Areas and Islands 19 tenderers submitted 55 tenders resulting in the signature of 24 individual contracts with four operators (Hrvatski Telekom, Vipnet, Pro-Ping and H1 Telekom). HAKOM started implementing the programme in 2012 and its implementation will be completed in August 2018 with the verification of the increased speed for the remaining target users.
 
The rest of HAKOM’s aid programme consists of two remaining components of the broadband system: socially useful applications and the necessary software and hardware for their operation which have been allocated an additional HRK 50 million. 

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.