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Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Serbia

Telecommunications

Bosnia and HerzegovinaSerbia
Telephones - main lines in usetotal subscriptions: 728,322

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18.97 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 2,565,392

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36.43 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellulartotal subscriptions: 3,755,521

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 97.79 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 8,453,887

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 120.06 (2019 est.)
Internet country code.ba.rs
Internet userstotal: 2,699,544

percent of population: 70.12% (July 2018 est.)
total: 5,192,501

percent of population: 73.36% (July 2018 est.)
Telecommunication systemsgeneral assessment:

Bosnia-Herzegovina aims for national LTE coverage through integration with European Union (EU); roaming agreements with EU and Balkan neighbors; fixed-line broadband is underdeveloped, investments in mobile upgrades facilitate broadband connectivity to a greater extent than in Europe; DSL and cable are the main platforms for fixed-line connectivity while fiber broadband has a small market presence; operators support broadband in rural areas where fixed-line infrastructure is insufficient; LTE services under test licenses; 5G awaits market maturity; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2021)

(2020)

domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 24 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing rapidly and stands at roughly 112 telephones per 100 persons (2019)

international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

general assessment:

Serbia's integration with the EU helped regulator reforms and promotion of telecom; EU development loans for broadband to rural areas; pandemic spurred use of mobile data and other services; wireless service is available through multiple providers; national coverage is growing rapidly; best telecom services are centered in urban centers; 4G/LTE mobile network launched; 5G tests ongoing with Ericsson and Huawei (2021)

(2020)

domestic: fixed-line 29 per 100 and mobile-cellular 96 per 100 persons (2019)

international: country code - 381

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadband - fixed subscriptionstotal: 745,887

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19.42 (2019 est.)
total: 1,623,790

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 23.06 (2019 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook