Deputy Minister Zdenko Antesic opened the 8th Telecom Arena

‘The Government expects that the electronic communications operators will soon intensify investments in the development of infrastructure and networks which enable broadband access, primarily in fiber optic networks and mobile communication networks of the fourth generation (so-called LTE technology)’, Zdenko Antesic, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, said at today's opening of the 8th Regional Conference of Telecom Arena.

Antesic added that these investments are needed in order to meet requirements of service users, and offer more advanced and more innovative communication services that will boost economic growth.

He recalled that Croatia is actively involved in the implementation of the basic EU strategic document for the development of broadband access, the Digital Agenda for Europe, through the adoption of Strategy for the development of broadband access in Croatia for the period 2012 -2015 and its Implementation Programme.

The key objectives of the Digital Agenda for Europe are to provide broadband access to every citizen of Europe by 2013 and to provide every citizen with ultra fast as well as with broadband access by 2020.

The main aim of the Strategy is to create preconditions for the rapid development of broadband infrastructure and services that require high-speed access, he said. He noted that this is the basis for the further development of the information society   and the knowledge society, while ensuring equal broadband access in the entire Croatian territory in order to overcome the so-called digital gap between Croatian regions.

President of the Council of the Croatian Agency for Post and Electronic Communications Miljenko Krvisek pointed out that Croatia had developed almost all communication technologies to the same level as that of the other countries of the world and now Croatia awaits distribution of the so called digital dividend. He explained that this is the area of the free RF from 790 to 882 MHz, which had been formed by switching from the analogue to digital television, and which will be shared among the mobile operators through public auctions perhaps this year.

Krvišek announced that HAKOM will allocate 100 million HRK grant for the building of new infrastructure, for equipment and for new services in the period from 2012 to 2016.

A member of the Croatian office of the company Nokia Siemens Networks Nives Sandri has warned that the operators base the increase of their income on the so called over the top services, that is, services outside the basic package such as voice and messaging, and this will be even more true in the future.

The conference is also being held tomorrow, and this day, the first day of the conference, was dedicated to the future regarding the electronic communications market in Croatia and the region. In discussing this subject, all speakers commented on the world trends and the challenges that Croatia will face after its accession to the EU. Croatia is already fully harmonised to the EU regulations in the field of electronic communications.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure and HAKOM are sponsoring the conference.