By 2022, 77% of the population, including 97% of youth aged 16 to 24, regularly use the internet, mainly for news, video calls, and entertainment, aligning with EU averages.
Despite this progress and having completed 5G spectrum allocations in 2021, Croatia's ranking in the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) is 21st out of 27 EU Member States.
[1] The first international Internet connection was established on 17 November 1992, between CARNET in Zagreb and the University of Vienna, with a speed of 64 kbps, and a bandwidth of 9600 bit/s.
However, there is room for improvement in the adoption of high-speed fixed broadband, with only 16% of households subscribing to at least 100 Mbps services, significantly lower than the EU average of 41%.
The country is actively working towards achieving the 2025 Gigabit target, expanding 5G wireless broadband coverage in urban areas and major transport routes.
It is not mandatory to register any personal data upon purchasing a prepaid plan (together with the USB based mobile modem stick), so any foreign citizen may also get it for in-land use.
In Croatia ADSL was introduced in 2000 by the German owned operator T-Com, formerly HT (Hrvatski Telekom, meaning Croatian telecom).
However, none of them has to the present day (as of January 2010[update]) realized the full potential of their concession, due to the high cost of the infrastructure which needs to be built.
[15] The constitution and law generally provide for freedom of speech and press; however, growing economic pressures lead journalists to practice self-censorship.
Hate speech committed over the Internet is punishable by six months to three years of imprisonment and libel is a criminal offense, but these laws are generally not enforced.