October the 10th, 2025 – The Rijeka Gateway project’s 5G network provided by Hrvatski Telekom/Croatian Telecom has seen it ranked among the best European digital connectivity projects.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Rijeka Gateway 5G Campus Network project, in which Hrvatski Telekom equipped a new container terminal with a 5G network, has been recognised as one of the most innovative digital connectivity projects in all of Europe. At the recently held European Digital Connectivity Awards 2025 in Brussels, Rijeka Gateway was among the three best projects in the category “Excellence and Innovation in the Implementation of Gigabit-Ready Infrastructure”, thus gaining prestigious international recognition.
“The fact that Rijeka Gateway has been declared strategically important for Croatia speaks volumes about its value and significance. I’m extremely proud that our project has been recognised among the best of the best in the entire EU. With a comprehensive solution and network infrastructure based on 5G technology, we’ve contributed to Rijeka Gateway being rightly considered the most advanced container terminal in the region, and we’ve set new standards in the implementation of business-critical communication adaptable to the needs of each of our business users,” emphasised Marijana Bačić, Member of the Management Board and Chief Operating Officer for Business Users of Hrvatski Telekom.
The European Digital Connectivity Award recognises the most outstanding projects in the introduction of digital networks across Europe, highlighting those infrastructure initiatives that enable fast and high-capacity connectivity.
“Rijeka Gateway is not only a technological model, but also an organisational and business one that provides a clear example of what a modern, industrial 5G implementation looks like. Being in the company of two such valuable projects confirms Croatia’s position as a leader in the digital transformation of industry, and shows that Croatia can be home to the most advanced technological solutions that compete at the European level,” said Robert Manenica, Principal in the Development and Management of Business Services Portfolio at Hrvatski Telekom and Project Manager for Rijeka Gateway.
Hrvatski Telekom’s role in this commendable project was to equip the new container terminal in Rijeka with a 5G network, which represents a significant step forward in the evolution of 5G technology in the maritime industry. HT provides a comprehensive Managed Service for 5G communication on a turnkey basis. It’s an innovative solution that combines a public 5G infrastructure with a private “slice”, protected by security and optimised for industrial needs. This ensures all the advantages of a private network – high availability, low latency, security – without the need for your own specialised 5G infrastructure team. This is the first such example in the DT Group, and probably in all of Europe as well.
The European Digital Connectivity Awards 2025 are otherwise awarded in three categories, and three prominent finalists have been selected in each. The prize for the most innovative project in the category in which Rijeka Gateway was also awarded went to the Hola 5G Oulu project from Finland for the implementation of the first private 5G standalone network in a European hospital.
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) is in charge of awarding these awards, which recognise projects with a real impact on accelerating digital connectivity across Europe.
