Internet in Croatia
Encyclopedia
ADSL
In CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
ADSL was introduced in 2000. It is mainly controlled by the state-owned operator T-Com,
which is former HT (Hrvatski telekom meaning Croatian telecom). Local loop was expected to be unbundling after 01.09.2006. As of 2010, this has only partially been done. There are companies offering ADSL2+ Internet Access and TriplePlay
Triple play (telecommunications)
In telecommunications, triple play service is a marketing term for the provisioning of two bandwidth-intensive services, high-speed Internet access and television, and a less bandwidth-demanding service, telephone, over a single broadband connection. Triple play focuses on a combined business...
. DSL is the most common form of broadband. Flat-rate based plans are the most commonly used in conjunction with DSL.
The list of DSL providers in Croatia is:
- T-Com (owned by T-HT) - MAXadsl, with a TriplePlay plan MaxTV, nationwide)
- Iskon Internet d.d. (owned by T-HT) - part of the network is locally based (in major urban areas), and partly services are run by local loop over T-Com copper lines, TriplePlay plan Iskon.TV, but only on the local part of the network for now.
- Amis Telekom d.o.o.
- Optima TelekomOptima TelekomOptima Telekom is the second-largest provider of fixed telephony services in the Republic of Croatia, which offer its customers the complete spectrum of telecommunications services....
d.d. - part of the network is locally based (in major urban areas), and partly services are run by local loop over T-Com copper lines, TriplePlay plan is called OptiTV. The reach for TriplePlay is extended gradually. - Metronet telekomunikacije d.d. - has TriplePlay
- Transintercom d.o.o.
- Magic Telekom d.o.o.
WiMax
The oldest commercial WiMaxWiMAX
WiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...
provider is: Novi net d.o.o.,.
There are also concessions for WIMAX given to Optima Telekom
Optima Telekom
Optima Telekom is the second-largest provider of fixed telephony services in the Republic of Croatia, which offer its customers the complete spectrum of telecommunications services....
, WIMAX Telecom and Odašiljači i veze d.d. (OiV).
However, none of them has to the present day (January 2010) realised the concession to the full extent up to date, due to the high cost of the infrastructure which needs to be build. Also, there is a claim from their side that there are not yet enough potential interested users for this technology...
FTTH
The existing Fiber to the Home provider Metronet telekomunikacije d.d.T-Com is performing a trial run scheduled to take a few years time, to see the potential for a nationwide coverage in FTTH technology. (Mid 2009 a 28 floor building in Rijeka has been equipped with FTTH providing triple play as a test site. Supposedly in 3 further cities similar test are run.)
Cable Internet
Croatia also has Cable InternetCable internet
In telecommunications, cable Internet access, often shortened to cable Internet or simply cable, is a form of broadband Internet access that uses the cable television infrastructure. Like digital subscriber line and fiber to the premises services, cable Internet access provides network edge...
available, however it is not as widespread as ADSL. There is one Cable Internet provider in Croatia: B.net Hrvatska d.o.o., also with a TriplePlay offer.
Mobile broadband
Internet in Croatia are also some mobile broadbandMobile Broadband
Mobile broadband is the marketing term for wireless Internet access through a portable modem, mobile phone or other mobile device.-Description:...
Internet offers, operated by the three national concession GSM operators:
- T-MobileT-MobileT-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
Croatia, - VIPnetVIPnetVipnet is the first private mobile network operator in Croatia. It has been operating a GSM network since July 1999.Since its arrival, Vipnet has broken the monopoly of CRONET and introduced many new services unknown before - SMS, prepaid and others...
(VodafoneVodafoneVodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
partner) - Tele2Tele2Tele2 AB is a major European telecommunications operator, with about 34 million customers in 11 countries. It serves as a fixed-line telephone operator, cable television provider, mobile phone operator and Internet service provider.- Overview :...
Croatia.
There are both pre-paid and post-paid based plans. All three providers cooperate with CARNet
CARNet
CARNet is the national research and education network of Croatia. It is funded from the government budget and it operates from offices in Zagreb and five other cities....
to provide a discount for users in the academic and education community - ordered by seniority they are named Mobile CARNet/VipmeCARNet (VIPnet), Tele2CARNet (Tele2 Croatia), Stick2CARNet (T-Mobile HR).
In Croatia, it is not mandatory to register any personal data upon purchasing a prepaid plan (together with the USB based mobile modem stick), so any foreign citizen may also get it for in-land usage.
GSM coverage is very good, while EDGE
Edge
- Aviation :* Leading edge, a line connecting the forward-most points of a wing's profile* Trailing edge, the rear edge of the wing* Zivko Edge 540, an aerobatic aircraft- Mathematics, science and technology :...
and UMTS coverage is rather sparse, and the usage for higher speeds is only possible on certain, mainly urban locations and in the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
area.
Academic usage
The national research and education networkNational Research and Education Network
A National Research and Education Network is a specialised internet service provider dedicated to supporting the needs of the research and education communities within a country....
and a significant Internet provider for numerous end-users in the academic and educational community in Croatia is the organisation CARNet
CARNet
CARNet is the national research and education network of Croatia. It is funded from the government budget and it operates from offices in Zagreb and five other cities....
.
Dial-up Internet
The dial-up Internet penetration in Croatia is still high. Mainly in rural areas.This is due to fixed telephone line high penetration throughout country.
Albeit ADSL uses the same cable for most parts, on places it is not enough qualitive for a stable ADSL link, and somewhere there are no ADSL supporting telephone switchboards installed.
There are several providers which also offer this rather old connection method:
- T-Com Croatia - dial-up plans exist
- Iskon Internet - the Iskon.Dial-Up service enables classic dial-up access, with several plans.
- VIPnetVIPnetVipnet is the first private mobile network operator in Croatia. It has been operating a GSM network since July 1999.Since its arrival, Vipnet has broken the monopoly of CRONET and introduced many new services unknown before - SMS, prepaid and others...
- their Homebox + offer includes which they designate as "fixed line", but technically uses GSM has the plan which also offers Internet access. Also, the VIP online plan exists using classic modem lines. - Optima TelekomOptima TelekomOptima Telekom is the second-largest provider of fixed telephony services in the Republic of Croatia, which offer its customers the complete spectrum of telecommunications services....
- OptiNET Dial-Up service - Globalnet - dial-up unified login data, also possible for usage by foreigeners
- CARNet - for any academic citizen, dial-up access is possible, upon requesting login data in the nearest academic institution.
There are also some smaller dial-up providers.
WLAN and hotspots
Some WLANWireless LAN
A wireless local area network links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method , and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network...
hotspot
Hotspot (Wi-Fi)
A hotspot is a site that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network through the use of a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider...
s exist also in Internet café
Internet cafe
An Internet café or cybercafé is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the café in the name...
s and some cities. This is clearly marked as such.
There are also many volunteer-driven WLAN local-city networks,
for example:
- DJWireless (Đakovo)
- OSWirless (OsijekOsijekOsijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
) - TENG (Nova GradiškaNova GradiškaNova Gradiška is a city located in the Brod-Posavina County of Croatia, population 14,196 . It is located in the historic region of Slavonia, near the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina....
)
and some other. These usually serve a small amount of locally based users.
VIPnet
VIPnet
Vipnet is the first private mobile network operator in Croatia. It has been operating a GSM network since July 1999.Since its arrival, Vipnet has broken the monopoly of CRONET and introduced many new services unknown before - SMS, prepaid and others...
and Iskon Internet operate some hotspots commercially.
Satellite internet
In the past, there have been a few resellers of the One-way satellite internet service (which mostly ceased to exist with the arrival of more ADSL coverage area due to the lost lack of broad interest in it). Currently (as of 2010), there is at least one reseller of a two-way satellite internet service. However, such mean of internet usage is not economically viable, except for a very few very remote areas. The equipment needed is not subsidied, unlike ADSL and FTTH trial equipment. The mode of two-way usage (downlink and uplinkUplink
A telecommunications link is generally one of several types of information transmission paths such as those provided by communication satellites to connect two points on earth.-Uplink:...
via satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
) is still a grey area in the Croatian frequency legislative, hence not used often.