A1 Hrvatska connects one million households with gigabit fixed network

A1 Hrvatska continues with the accelerated construction and modernization of the largest gigabit fixed network in Croatia and will connect as many as one million households by 2025, or 70 percent of them. Additionally, the A1 optical network is already capable of supporting a capacity of 50 Gbps and is ready for future user needs.

The company has already started an ambitious plan to connect 150 thousand new households to the gigabit fixed network each year. Currently, 672 thousand households have the option to connect to the most modern next-generation fixed network, covering more than 1.8 million people, and by the end of the year, it will be available in as many as 800 thousand households across Croatia.

The CEO of A1 Hrvatska Jiří Dvorjančanský explained that these investments will not only be a generator of Croatia’s progress towards DESI but will also ensure a better digital future.

– In addition to significant multi-year investments, behind the largest and most modern gigabit fixed network in Croatia are the efforts, knowledge, and innovations of A1 experts. Our goal is to send outdated access technology, copper pairs, into history. Therefore, after this year’s investment of 109.28 million euros in the radio frequency spectrum, we continue with new, significant investments in the accelerated construction and modernization of A1’s fixed and mobile networks – he said.

The infrastructure equipment being installed in the A1 optical network already supports speeds of up to 50 Gbps and is ready for all future user needs. In comparison, commercial user devices today support from 2.5 Gbps to a maximum of 10 Gbps. This was demonstrated by the Chief Technical and Information Technology Officer at A1 Hrvatska Branimir Marić.

– This test of 50G PON technology is the best indicator of the modernization of the A1 fixed network, its quality, and readiness for the next five years and beyond. Readiness for each household to have 30 or more connected devices, all working seamlessly and at full capacity on Wi-Fi 6 or the future 7 standard – explained Marić.

Since its arrival in the Croatian market as the largest greenfield investment, A1 Hrvatska has marked the past 24 years with numerous innovations that have captured the market. Thanks to a proactive approach based on advanced analytics of network systems and user habits, the company quickly responds to market needs. The Valicon agency conducted an annual survey on customer satisfaction with fixed services on a sample of 600 respondents.

– I am particularly pleased that our focus on customers is yielding results, as A1 received the highest ratings in the categories of: Overall satisfaction with the operator, Quality of products and services, Choice of offered products and services, Quality of the network, and Benefits for existing customers, in the competition of the top five telecoms providing fixed services. Of course, we are satisfied with these results, and they are one of the confirmations that A1’s infrastructure and services are tailored to the needs of users – commented the Chief Executive Officer for private customers Ivana Marković.

A1 Hrvatska is also launching a new, innovative, and unique service in the domestic market – Rent a NET. The service is primarily created according to the needs of users who travel for vacation to their own property or hosts who are well aware that a quality internet connection has become one of the main prerequisites for what is considered good accommodation. The fixed package is available on the A1 infrastructure, allowing through the Moj A1 application to choose between two operating models – at full speed and standby for example during the off-season. The service remains active at all times, ensuring connectivity for IoT devices such as smart home sensors or web cameras during the off-season.

Rent a NET is just one of the innovations that A1 is preparing this year with the aim of retaining and improving customer satisfaction.