- Crnogorski Telekom expands 5G network to 18 cities, underpinned by Ericsson Nikola Tesla deal.
- ENT also in play at Crnogorski parent Hrvatski Telekom.
Montenegrin operator Crnogorski Telekom (CT) signed a five‑year, €11.5m deal with Ericsson Nikola Tesla (ENT).
ENT, Ericsson’s Croatian affiliate, will continue to provide the operator with network maintenance services, as well as working to “improve and upgrade” its mobile network.
Stjepan Udovicic, CT’s Chief Executive, said the operator will “jointly direct resources” to the network infrastructure, as part of a campaign to “modernise the entire network”.
ENT runs in the family
ENT’s partnership with Crnogorski Telekom stretches for decades, the vendor noted, and has in recent times included a “major modernisation” of the 4G network and deployment of 5G.
In March 2022, CT became the first operator in the country to launch a 5G service after it used ENT kit to deploy a dynamic spectrum sharing‑based network in the capital Podgorica (Deutsche Telekomwatch, #106, #114, and #117). As of October 2022, CT’s 5G network was active in 18 cities across the country, covering close to 70% of the Montenegrin population, according to the operator.
Hrvatski Telekom, which (HT) holds a 76.53% stake in Crnogorski Telekom, and like its Montenegrin subsidiary, uses ENT equipment for its 5G network. Similarly, HT’s joint venture mobile network operator HT Mostar, which is majority‑owned by the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, uses ENT kit for its 5G services in the country (Deutsche Telekomwatch, #111 and #114).
