OIV builds 14 antenna towers to expand 5G in rural Croatia

The Croatian agency OIV has completed the construction of 14 standalone antenna towers as part of a project to enhance digital connectivity in rural and sparsely populated regions. The initiative, titled ‘Construction of Passive Electronic Communication Infrastructure’, is valued at approximately 7.9 million euros, with 6.3 million euros provided through non-refundable funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021–2026.

The project involves the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure and the Central Agency for Funding and Contracting EU Programmes and Projects (SAFU). The infrastructure is spread across 12 Croatian counties, including Primorsko-goranska, Ličko-senjska, Karlovačka, Zagrebačka, Koprivničko-križevačka, Bjelovarsko-bilogorska, Virovitičko-podravska, Osječko-baranjska, Požeško-slavonska, Brodsko-posavska, Vukovarsko-srijemska, and Šibensko-kninska.

By providing passive infrastructure, the project allows telecommunications operators to install their own active equipment and access the network via wholesale agreements. This aims to reduce the digital divide between urban and rural areas and facilitate the rollout of 5G services in regions where high construction costs previously limited commercial interest.