About the Report 

Between 2019-2024, the telecommunications sector in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Croatia, six of the leading economies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), strengthened its strategic role within national economies, as digital connectivity became central to economic resilience and service delivery. On average, the sector's share in gross value added (GVA) rose from 4.6% in 2019 to 5.3%in 2024, reflecting the growing dependence on broadband, mobile services, and data infrastructure. Romania consistently led this metric, followed by Czech Republic, while Poland trailed, due to its larger and more diversified economy, diluting the telecoms sector’s relative weight.

Investment in telecommunications remained robust. Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic captured the largest shares of regional capital flows in 2024, with heavy funding directed at fibre rollouts, 5G networks, and edge infrastructure. Support from EU programmes (especially Recovery and Resilience Plans) has significantly accelerated next-gen network deployment across the region.

Despite this, constraints persist. Many countries face under-utilised 5G spectrum, infrastructure gaps in rural areas, and low digital service monetisation, limiting operators’ ability to fully capitalise on network upgrades. Regulatory fragmentation and lagging innovation ecosystems in countries such as Romania and Croatia further delay digital service diversification.

Despite these challenges, CEE telecoms markets demonstrate strong forward momentum, underpinned by policy alignment with EU digital targets and continued investor confidence in the region’s telecoms growth.


Report Content


  • The report on the Telecommunications industry in Central and Eastern Europe (covering Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Croatia) analyses key trends shaping the sector between 2019 and 2024.
    It highlights the growing contribution of information and communication activities to national economies, supported by strong demand for mobile data, broadband expansion, and ongoing digitalisation across businesses and public services.
  • The study explores regional dynamics in internet access, digital inclusion, and the uptake of emerging technologies such as IoT, alongside the rise of green ICT initiatives. 
  • Country Profiles:  In-depth analysis of the telecommunications markets in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Croatia, providing detailed insights into market performance, spectrum allocation and licensing, investment trends, pricing, and competitive landscape, as well as key M&A activity over the last few years.

    CEE Telco (1)

 

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