Development of new generation digital networks in Montenegro with the support of the EU

The development of digital infrastructure in the Western Balkans is the focus of the European Union's economic and investment plan for the region. Therefore, the EU is financing a project to improve the development of broadband infrastructure in Montenegro, worth 550,000 EUR, which should improve the coverage of the territory with infrastructure for fixed internet.

As part of the project, which began in July last year, an assessment was made of the current situation in Montenegro and the plans of telecommunications operators to install infrastructure in the next three years. Settlements in the country are classified into white (without broadband infrastructure and / or operators), gray (only one operator) and black zones (at least two operators). It has been found that most settlements are located in white zones, which pose the greatest challenge for investment in terms of costs and benefits.

A techno-economic model has been developed that allows estimating the costs of network implementation. The legal, regulatory and organizational framework in Montenegro was also explored and recommendations were made for its improvement, in order to facilitate the establishment of broadband networks throughout the country.

In case the Government of Montenegro wants to continue investing, the EU and partner international financial institutions will provide strong support, in line with the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.

The results of the study were presented at the workshop "Application of new generation networks in Montenegro" on Wednesday, September 29 at the Hilton Hotel. The aim of the workshop was to inform various stakeholders, such as telecommunications operators, municipalities, utilities and others, but also to hear their views and get feedback to enable efficient implementation of next generation networks in the coming years.

The technical assistance project to improve the development of broadband infrastructure in Montenegro is funded by the EU through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) in cooperation with the European Investment Bank (EIB). The leading international financial institution and potential lender for the implementation of the future project is the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).