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Croatia vs. Serbia

Telecommunications

CroatiaSerbia
Telephones - main lines in usetotal subscriptions: 1,333,661

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 31.38 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 2,565,392

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36.43 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellulartotal subscriptions: 4,404,652

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 103.63 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 8,453,887

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 120.06 (2019 est.)
Internet country code.hr.rs
Internet userstotal: 3,104,212

percent of population: 72.69% (July 2018 est.)
total: 5,192,501

percent of population: 73.36% (July 2018 est.)
Telecommunication systemsgeneral assessment:

Croatia's telecom market improved through partnership with the EU in 2013, opening a competitive market in mobile and broadband and conducive regulatory environment; one of the highest mobile penetration rates in the Balkans, covering most remote areas; local lines are digital; international operator investment provides relatively high broadband penetration; tests for 5G technologies in 2020 (2020)

(2020)

domestic: fixed-line teledensity has dropped somewhat to about 32 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions 107 per 100 (2019)

international: country code - 385;  the ADRIA-1 submarine cable provides connectivity to Albania and Greece; digital international service is provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic project, which consists of 2 fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

general assessment:

Serbia's integration with the EU helped regulator reforms and promotion of telecom; EU development loans for broadband to rural areas; pandemic spurred use of mobile data and other services; wireless service is available through multiple providers; national coverage is growing rapidly; best telecom services are centered in urban centers; 4G/LTE mobile network launched; 5G tests ongoing with Ericsson and Huawei (2021)

(2020)

domestic: fixed-line 29 per 100 and mobile-cellular 96 per 100 persons (2019)

international: country code - 381

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadband - fixed subscriptionstotal: 1,154,773

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27.17 (2019 est.)
total: 1,623,790

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 23.06 (2019 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook