Vipnet acquires LTE spectrum in Croatia

The Croatian subsidiary of operator group Telekom Austria, Vipnet, hasobtained 20MHz of the country’s 800MHz frequency spectrum for a total of HRK150m ($26m).

The operator bought a paired frequency block of LTE-FDD spectrum in a bid to address the country’s digital dividend. Croatian regulatory authority HAKOM requires operators using 800MHz LTE-FDD frequencies to achieve coverage of at least 50 per cent of Croatia within five years.

“With these frequency blocks Vipnet will be able to offer broadband services based on LTE, meeting ever-rising customer demands in terms of speed and volume”, said Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO Telekom Austria Group.

The sale was conducted by HAKOM, which offered a total of three frequency blocks. Only Vipnet and rival T-Hrvatski Telekom participated in the bidding process. The licenses will expire on October 18 2024.