Broadband in Hungary

Summary of broadband development in Hungary

The National Digitalisation Strategy 2021-2030 was approved in 2021. It aims to provide 95% of households with gigabit networks, increase digital skills of the population, support digitalisation of business processes as well as increase use of e-government services.

National broadband strategy and policy

Responsible authorities

• Strategies concerning the use of information and communication technology including broadband policies fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Technology and Industry (Technológiai és Ipari Minisztérium).
• The Governmental Information Technology Development Agency (KIFÜ) operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Technology and Industry. The agency manages IT projects dealing with central public administration and guided by the Government, e.g. the Superfast Internet Program and acts as national Broadband Competence Office (BCO).
• The National Media Infocommunications Authority (Nemzeti Média- és Hírközlési Hatóság, NMHH) provides regulation concerning fixed and wireless electronic communications and is also responsible for the wireless broadband strategy.
• The Ministry of Interior (Belügyminisztérium) is responsible for eGovernment issues and was involved in preparation of the National Digitalisation Strategy 2021-2030.

Main aims and measures for broadband development

The Hungary’s National Digitalisation Strategy 2021-2030 was approved in Autumn 2021. The strategy is based on four pillars: digital infrastructure, digital skills, digital economy and digital state. It sets out the following targets to be achieved by 2030:

• 95% of households covered by gigabit networks,
• less than 2% share of people without digital skills in the 16-71 age group,
• more than 30% of processes in businesses are digitalised,
• 90% of inhabitants use e-government services.

The strategy outlines infrastructural, educational and economic support measures. To ensure the availability of wired and wireless digital infrastructure with adequate service capability and quality, the strategy foresees the development of gigabit networks, digital infrastructure of educational and higher education institutions, further development of the national telecommunications backbone network, wireless communication for professional organisations, expanding supercomputing capacity as well as encouraging development of 5G networks.

Development of gigabit-capable networks will include wide implementation measures:

• planning and implementation of a nationwide “Gigabit Hungary 2030” network development programme, connected to 5G, in order to have internet connections with speeds of at least 1 Gbps available by end-2030,
• clarification of infrastructure and network sharing under competition law and regulation of access to optical and radio networks, in particular the sharing of passive (and partly active) infrastructure elements,
• transposing the European Electronic Communications Code into national law,
• reviewing and, if necessary, amending the rules for the construction of telecommunication networks,
• alleviating the reporting and administrative burdens on service providers,
• reviewing the quality and consumer protection regulations for communications services, reviewing standards, formulation of minimum requirements,
• review of the Communications Regulation to better support policy objectives related to digitisation, micro- and macro-level competitiveness,
• updating national standards for electronic communications networks,
• positioning digital networks as a critical infrastructure for the general public.

Encouraging the development of 5G networks will need further multiple actions:

• strengthening and expanding the activities of the 5G Coalition,
• launching strategic agreements between service providers and the government to accelerate state-of-the-art fixed & mobile and converged technology developments,
• development of R&D&I support scheme in line with digital infrastructure development, especially 5G,
• development of Széchenyi István University 5G Center of Excellence,
• contribution to the construction of EU 5G corridors,
• preliminary analysis of 6G technology.

National and regional broadband financial instruments

• Loans: For the 2014-2020 period, financial resources from the Economic Development and Innovation Operational Programme (EDIOP/GINOP) support the expansion of public broadband networks and the expansion of high speed connections. National funds help expand the broadband networks in non-convergent Middle-Hungarian Region.
• ESIF funds: The 2014-2020 programmes estimate that investments into NGA high-speed broadband networks, with a speed of 30 Mbps or higher, will reach €253 million. Part of the broadband budget will be spent via financial instruments.
• Superfast Internet Programme (SZIP): The majority of projects deployed FTTH (fibre to the home), enabling Gigabit speeds. SZIP, financed from EU Structural Funds, intended to cover almost 410,000 households is, with networks supplying at least 30 Mbps broadband internet service by 2023. For areas that are not commercially viable, a €250 million state aid scheme has been set up to ensure broadband roll-out. By the end of 2020, almost a quarter of a million households were covered by at least 30 Mbps broadband through the SZIP.

Data on broadband development and technologies in Hungary

For the latest data on broadband coverage, subscriptions and penetrations, coverage of different broadband technologies and costs, check the scoreboard reports and the country reports of the Digital Economy & Society Index (DESI).

Spectrum assignments for wireless broadband

For details on harmonised spectrum assignments consult the European 5G Observatory.

Publications and press documents

English

• Study on National Broadband Plans
• Guide to High-Speed Broadband Investment
• Broadband Connectivity Reports and Analyses
• Mobile and fixed broadband prices in Europe
• Study on broadband coverage in Europe

Hungarian

• Portal szelessav.net gathering and collating service quality data on broadband
• Szupergyors Internet Program (SZIP)
• Nemzeti Digitalizációs Stratégia (NDS) 2021-2030

Contact information

BCO Hungary (national Broadband Competence Office): Ministry for Technology and Industry, State Secretariat for Infocommunication

Address: Iskola u. 13, Budapest, 1011 Hungary
Contact via email
Phone: +36 30 977 4707
Website

National Media and Infocommunications Authority (Nemzeti Média- és Hírközlési Hatóság)

Address: Ostrom u. 23-25, 1015 Budapest, Hungary
Contact via email
Phone: +36 1 4577100
Website