Techno-economic analyses of wireline and wireless broadband access networks deployment in Croatian rural areas

The paper analyzes the current situation in the Croatian broadband telecommunications market as well as the technical and economic aspects of the wireline and wireless broadband access networks deployment in Croatian rural areas, encouraged by the new Croatian Broadband Development Strategy. An overview of the techno-economic planning process for broadband implementation in several types of Croatian rural areas is given. The model to assess the costs of broadband access technologies with currently the highest penetration rates in Croatia is introduced and the techno-economic analyses of the deployment of these technologies in Croatian rural areas are conducted. The cost-effectiveness of broadband implementation is calculated using the basic profitability evaluation methods. The sensitivity and risk analyses for the key input cost parameters are conducted. The results of these analyses are presented and compared, and the specificities of each scenario affecting broadband access costs are highlighted.