Croatia

[HR] Regulator publishes minimum standards for DVBT-2 reception

IRIS 2017-8:1/27

Ingo Beckendorf

Institute of European Media Law (EMR), Saarbrücken/Brussels

The Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries, HAKOM, based in Zagreb, has published a recommendation on the minimum technical requirements for DVB-T2 reception. The recommendation was developed as part of cooperation between HAKOM, the Croatian Agency for Electronic Media, network and multiplex operators, public and private TV broadcasters and representatives of the academic community.

HAKOM also announced that migration from DVB-T to DVB-T2 transmission in Croatia would begin in 2019. Receivers that met the minimum requirements set out in the recommendation would be marked with a special logo in order to help consumers make informed purchases. The design of the logo and the receiver certification process are planned for 2018.

HAKOM is responsible for market regulation in the electronic communications, postal and railway services industries. It also protects consumer rights and manages limited resources of importance to the Republic of Croatia, such as radio frequency spectrum. HAKOM values good cooperation with neighbouring countries and plays an active part in events organised by international authorities.

Since 1 January 2015, all Croatian citizens have been able to surf the Internet with a guaranteed minimum speed of 1 Mbit/s. The notion of a guaranteed minimum speed was introduced in 2012, when it was just 144 Kbit/s. It is regulated by Article 25(1) of the HAKOM Ordinance on universal services in electronic communications. Along with Finland and Spain, Croatia is one of only three countries worldwide whose citizens are guaranteed a minimum Internet speed by law.