Project overview: Private 5G for Croatia’s smart airports
Hrvatski Telekom will deploy dedicated private 5G networks at Zagreb, Zadar, and Pula airports under a €5.6 million “NextGen 5G Airports” program co-financed by the European Commission’s CEF Digital initiative.
CEF Digital funding and consortium details
The project was selected in a competitive CEF Digital call focused on 5G and edge for smart communities, with €3.09 million in EU grant funding and the remainder financed by Hrvatski Telekom and partners. It is one of only a handful of airport-focused projects funded under CEF Digital to date, positioning Croatia to stand up its first smart airports with carrier-grade private 5G.
The consortium includes the three airport operators, systems integrator Markoja, and the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences at the University of Zagreb. Hrvatski Telekom leads and will operate the networks as fully managed private infrastructure.
Why private 5G is critical for airport digitization
Airports are under pressure to digitize operations, raise throughput, and improve safety amid constrained labor and rising operational complexity. Private 5G paired with edge compute is emerging as the preferred foundation for mission-critical airside and landside connectivity because it supports deterministic performance, strong isolation, and rigorous security. This deployment sets a regional benchmark and offers a replicable model for EU smart community programs.
Use cases and capabilities of the private 5G network
The program targets operational efficiency, safety, and a better passenger experience through dedicated, configurable, and SLA-backed wireless infrastructure.
Initial airport use cases and roadmap
Expect initial waves to target airside communications for ground handling and ramp operations, real-time video analytics for apron safety and perimeter protection, connected and automated baggage handling, asset and ULD tracking, fleet telematics for tugs and GSE, and maintenance support with AR/remote expertise. Over time, the platform can extend to passenger flow analytics, queue management, and smarter facility operations.
3GPP features, QoS, slicing, and edge computing
The networks are expected to leverage 3GPP standards for private 5G with support for deterministic QoS, device density at scale, and the option to segment traffic by role via logical isolation (for example, per airline or ground handler). Edge computing on or near the airport premises will enable low-latency processing for video, safety systems, and time-sensitive control. A managed delivery model centralizes lifecycle, security, and performance management under Hrvatski Telekom, simplifying adoption for airport IT/OT teams.
Managed delivery, SLAs, and onboarding
With the operator taking end-to-end responsibility, airports gain a single accountable party for design, run, and SLA performance. That reduces integration friction versus DIY or Wi-Fi–only approaches and accelerates onboarding of new services, tenants, and devices via SIM/eSIM and policy-based controls.
Program funding, partners, and EU policy context
The initiative blends EU policy goals for advanced connectivity with on-the-ground airport modernization delivered by a national operator and local ecosystem partners.
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Digital) overview
The Connecting Europe Facility’s digital strand co-finances large-scale 5G pilots that pair advanced connectivity with edge computing in priority verticals such as transport, health, education, and agriculture. Airport infrastructure has been underrepresented so far, making this selection notable and potentially influential for future calls.
Roles of Hrvatski Telekom and partners
Hrvatski Telekom leads and operates the networks; the Zagreb, Zadar, and Pula airport companies act as host sites and service beneficiaries; Markoja supports infrastructure delivery and integration; and the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences contributes domain expertise and applied research to validate outcomes and inform future scale-out.
Budget, grants, and cost coverage
The total value is €5.6 million, with €3.09 million in grants and the balance funded by the lead operator and consortium members. EU support can reach up to 75% of eligible costs for qualifying works, helping de-risk early deployments and accelerate time to value.
Strategic takeaways for aviation and telecom
The project showcases how private 5G can become the backbone for airport-wide digital operations, with lessons that transfer to ports, rail hubs, and logistics campuses.
Benefits for airport operators
Private 5G offers a path to consolidate fragmented RF estates, harden security, and meet demanding SLAs for safety-critical systems, while maintaining flexibility to onboard new tenants and applications. It also provides a platform for predictive operations and data monetization with airlines and service providers.
Benefits for airlines and ground handlers
Deterministic connectivity enables tighter A-CDM adherence, faster turnaround, and better asset utilization. Tenants should prepare application and device certification plans, define QoS classes and slice requirements, and align data governance with airport policies.
Implications for telecom operators and vendors
This is a live reference demonstrating managed private 5G plus edge in a regulated, mission-critical environment. It will test interoperable device ecosystems, indoor/outdoor RF design in metal-dense spaces, and integration with AODB, RMS, BHS, CCTV/VMS, and SCADA stacks.
Risks, compliance, and mitigation strategies
Success depends on rigorous RF engineering, operational integration, and clear safety and security controls aligned with aviation standards and regulators.
RF coexistence, devices, and coverage challenges
Coexistence with legacy TETRA, Wi‑Fi 6/6E, and public 5G requires careful planning to avoid interference and coverage gaps. Device certification and supply constraints can slow rollouts. Achieving consistent indoor coverage across terminals, hangars, and aprons demands dense, resilient designs with fiber redundancy and hardened edge sites.
Security, SLAs, and regulatory alignment
Private 5G raises the bar for identity, policy, and monitoring across IT and OT domains. Stakeholders should define shared SLAs, incident response, data residency, and lawful intercept requirements upfront, and align with airport safety cases for any latency-sensitive or autonomous functions.
Timeline, pilots, and scale-out signals
Enterprises and vendors should track timelines, early use-case performance, and how the model scales across Croatian transport hubs and the wider region.
KPIs, spectrum choices, and expansion markers
Look for published pilot results on apron safety analytics, baggage automation KPIs, and tenant onboarding speed; announcements on spectrum and architecture choices; and any expansion to additional Croatian airports or to seaports and rail. Also monitor future CEF Digital calls, as strong outcomes here could catalyze a larger wave of 5G-plus-edge deployments across European transport infrastructure.
