November the 27th, 2025 – The European Union (EU) is set to co-finance the creation of a 5G network in three Croatian airports called “NextGen5G Airports”.
As Sinisa Malus/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the commendable “NextGen 5G Airports” project launched by Hrvatski Telekom (Croatian Telecom) has been selected for co-financing under the European Commission’s CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) programme. It won despite fierce competition from 28 projects from across the European Union. This will transform three Croatian airports into Smart Airports, for which Hrvatski Telekom will build an entirely private 5G network. The total investment value stands at 5.6 million euros, of which 3.09 million euros are grants.
The future private 5G network will be installed in the following Croatian airports: Zadar, Pula and of course, Zagreb. The project activities include investing in the construction of a private 5G network in the airport area itself, which will enable increased operational efficiency, security and a better user experience. “NextGen 5G Airports” is only the fourth project focusing on airport infrastructure to be co-financed through CEF Digital.
Out of a total of 128 co-financed projects under the first three calls, three airport projects were co-financed at the actual EU level. One of the main advantages of implementing private 5G networks at Croatian airports is that they will provide a complete solution in which Hrvatski Telekom takes full responsibility for network management. This approach ensures a stable and reliable communication network for those airports, with airport operators given the chance to digitise their services faster and more efficiently.
Furthermore, private 5G networks significantly increase the safety and reliability of airport operations. The flexibility of such networks allows them to adapt to the specific requirements of each individual airline, operator or user, providing them with an infrastructure that exactly matches their often rather specific needs.
Investments in private 5G networks will enable the transformation of Croatian airports and greater readiness for future challenges and opportunities, all while ensuring an ideal user experience. The European Union is otherwise funding up to 75 percent of the eligible costs of large-scale pilot projects for the next generation of 5G networks. These networks combine advanced connectivity with edge computing capabilities in sectors such as health, education, transport and agriculture. The remaining 25 percent in this project is being represented by investments from Hrvatski Telekom itself, as well as from various other consortium partners.
