Montenegro has built a strong telecommunications headline, but not yet a full digital-economy story. By the end of 2025, the country had exceeded 88 per cent territorial coverage with 5G signal, while all main roads were covered by the fifth-generation mobile network. For a small, mountainous country with dispersed settlements, difficult terrain and a tourism economy dependent on connectivity, that is a meaningful infrastructure achievement.
Yet the same government implementation report also shows the deeper problem. Montenegro is moving faster in network coverage than in the digital services that should turn that network into productivity, public-sector efficiency and private-sector innovation. The country has achieved the visible part of the 5G agenda — signal, road coverage and market monitoring — but is still lagging in the institutional, cybersecurity, data-transparency and service-development layers that make 5G economically valuable.
That gap matters because 5G is not only faster mobile internet. Its real development value lies in what it enables: smart transport, smart ports, digital tourism services, connected public administration, Internet of Things applications, emergency services, remote monitoring, industrial automation, healthcare platforms, smart-energy management and better local-government services. Without those use cases, 5G remains mostly a telecom-sector achievement. With them, it becomes part of national productivity infrastructure.
Montenegro’s action plan for 2025 and 2026 contained 17 activities, but implementation has been uneven. Of the four activities scheduled to begin and be completed in 2025, only one was fully implemented, while the other three were either partially implemented or treated as continuous activities. Of the seven activities planned to start in 2025 and be completed no later than 2026, three were implemented, two were partially implemented and two were not implemented. That is not a collapse of the strategy, but it does show weak administrative execution.
The strongest progress is in network availability. The weaker part is the state’s ability to coordinate ministries, agencies, local governments and operators around digital-service delivery. That distinction is increasingly important for Montenegro’s EU-accession process and economic competitiveness. Digital infrastructure is no longer judged only by telecom coverage. It is judged by whether citizens can access services online, whether businesses can interact with the state efficiently, whether local governments can use data, whether cybersecurity standards are credible and whether digital systems reduce administrative friction.
The most serious bottleneck is the introduction of IPv6 in the network of state authorities. Although a national body for the introduction of IPv6 has been formed, the share of state bodies whose networks had implemented IPv6 at the end of 2025 was 0 per cent. The target is 65 per cent by 2026 and 85 per cent by 2027. That gap is large enough to raise doubts about whether the public administration has the technical, staffing and coordination capacity needed to support more advanced digital transformation.
IPv6 is not a bureaucratic technicality. It is one of the foundations for large-scale device connectivity, smart-city infrastructure, Internet of Things deployment and more advanced public digital services. A country can cover its territory with 5G and still fail to capture the full value if the state’s own networks remain locked in older technical architecture. The Ministry of Public Administration has reportedly expressed reservations about the transition, citing security concerns, limited expert staff, technical constraints and the cost of moving from IPv4 to IPv6. Those concerns are real, but they also confirm the main point: Montenegro’s digital bottleneck is increasingly institutional rather than purely infrastructural.
This is a familiar problem in small economies. Telecom operators can often invest faster than the state can redesign services. Private mobile networks can reach users before ministries can standardise data systems, retrain civil servants, upgrade cybersecurity, build interoperability and coordinate local-government use cases. The result is an economy with good connectivity but limited digital productivity. Montenegro is now at that stage.
The missed activities around encouraging local governments and state institutions to develop modern ICT solutions based on 5G networks are especially important. Public calls and competitions for such solutions were not implemented, while consultations on potential support sources were only partially carried out. This is a lost opportunity because municipalities are exactly where 5G use cases can become visible to citizens: parking, traffic, waste management, water monitoring, tourism information, emergency alerts, public Wi-Fi, environmental monitoring, port logistics and seasonal-service management.
The WiFi4WB project, financed by the European Union and the German government and implemented by GIZ, is positive. It should provide free public Wi-Fi in 24 Montenegrin municipalities by September 2026, improving digital connectivity in local communities. But public Wi-Fi is not a substitute for advanced 5G services. It improves access; it does not by itself create smart municipal systems, connected infrastructure or digital public administration. Montenegro needs both: basic public connectivity and higher-value 5G-enabled services.
The cybersecurity gap is another concern. Planned training for civil servants in electromagnetic radiation and cybersecurity of 5G networks was not implemented. Planned public campaigns on cybersecurity of 5G networks were also not implemented. That is a serious omission because 5G creates more dependence on digital infrastructure. As public services, businesses, transport, energy systems and local-government platforms become more connected, cyber risk increases. A country cannot treat 5G as a consumer-internet upgrade while ignoring the security requirements attached to critical infrastructure.
The issue is especially relevant for Montenegro because of its small administrative capacity and EU-integration path. Cybersecurity, data governance, resilience of public systems and protection of critical infrastructure are increasingly part of the European digital-policy environment. Weak preparation in these areas can slow the adoption of digital public services and reduce trust among citizens and businesses. Digital transformation requires confidence. Citizens will not rely on online state services if systems are unreliable, opaque or vulnerable.
Transparency is also lagging. The planned geoportal with results of electromagnetic-radiation measurements has not yet been established. The Environmental Protection Agency is working on migration and upgrade of its information system, after which the portal should be introduced. The idea is important: citizens should have simple public access to measurement results and relevant locations, effectively an electromagnetic map of Montenegro. This type of portal can reduce misinformation, improve trust and provide a factual basis for public debate about 5G infrastructure.
The lack of such a portal leaves space for distrust. 5G networks have often been surrounded by public concern over health and environmental effects, even where scientific evidence supports regulated deployment within accepted limits. Montenegro’s report notes outreach through the Aarhus Caravan in Nikšić, Plužine and Herceg Novi, where the public was informed about electromagnetic radiation and environmental-impact assessment related to 5G infrastructure. That is useful, but one-off outreach cannot replace continuous transparency. A public geoportal would make information more accessible and reduce dependence on sporadic campaigns.
The financial execution is also revealing. For selected activities in 2025 and 2026, a total of €30,000 had been planned, but those funds were not spent during 2025. Some work was carried out using institutions’ own capacities, while activities related to the geoportal remained unfinished. The amount itself is small, but the signal is important. Montenegro’s problem is not always lack of money. It is often weak planning, unclear responsibility, slow implementation and insufficient coordination.
The report identifies the reasons: frequent organisational changes, lack of staff, poor coordination, interdependence between activities, inadequate planning and lack of consensus over which institution is responsible for particular measures. Some institutions provided incomplete or overly brief data, weakening the quality of reporting itself. These are not technical obstacles; they are governance obstacles. They suggest that digital transformation is being treated as a set of administrative tasks rather than a central economic-development agenda.
For investors and businesses, the distinction matters. Montenegro’s telecommunications infrastructure can support modern services, tourism platforms, fintech, digital nomad activity, remote work, e-commerce, logistics and higher-value public-private digital projects. But if public administration remains slow, fragmented and technically underprepared, the economy will not capture the full value of that infrastructure. Businesses need digital permits, e-payments, e-invoices, reliable registries, interoperable data systems, cybersecurity standards and predictable online procedures. 5G coverage helps; administrative digitisation determines the business impact.
Tourism is one of the sectors where the gap is most visible. Montenegro’s premium-tourism strategy depends increasingly on digital services: real-time transport information, smart parking, destination apps, emergency communication, online visitor management, digital payments, marina services, hotel and airport connectivity, environmental monitoring and crowd-management tools during the season. Strong 5G coverage can support this, but only if municipalities, tourism organisations and private operators build the services. Coverage alone does not improve visitor experience.
Ports and logistics are another opportunity. Montenegro’s location, especially through Bar, gives it potential as a regional logistics and maritime node. Smart-port applications, cargo tracking, customs digitisation, industrial-zone connectivity and automated monitoring can benefit from high-speed mobile infrastructure. But such applications require coordination between telecom operators, port authorities, customs, transport ministries, local governments and private logistics companies. Again, the technology is available faster than the institutional model.
Energy is a third area. Smart grids, distributed renewables, EV charging, hydro monitoring, smart metering and grid-balancing services can all use advanced connectivity. Montenegro’s energy transition will require better data, faster response systems and digital monitoring. 5G can support this, especially in remote or mountainous areas. But the energy sector must define use cases, invest in systems and align data standards. Without that, 5G remains outside the sector’s core transformation.
The public-sector productivity angle may be the most important. Montenegro is a small state with limited administrative capacity. Digitalisation should be a force multiplier, allowing citizens and companies to complete procedures faster, reducing paper-based administration, improving transparency and cutting corruption risks. Delays in IPv6, cybersecurity training, geoportal development and local-government 5G solutions show that this productivity gain is not yet being fully captured.
This has implications for EU accession. Montenegro’s accession path increasingly requires stronger administrative capacity, digital governance, consumer protection, cybersecurity, public procurement transparency and institutional coordination. Digital infrastructure can support all of these areas, but only if the state uses it actively. A country that has 88 per cent 5G territorial coverage but slow digital-service implementation risks presenting two different faces to Brussels: modern telecom networks on one side, underdeveloped administrative execution on the other.
The private sector also needs a clearer role. The report’s recommendations point to stronger cooperation between private companies, mobile operators, ministries and local governments, especially around permits and network development across the whole territory. This is correct. Operators can build networks, but they cannot by themselves create public-sector digital transformation. Ministries can define strategies, but they cannot implement use cases without technical partners and local coordination. Municipalities can identify local problems, but often lack the capacity to design advanced ICT solutions. Montenegro needs a structured public-private digital-delivery model.
That model should be practical rather than abstract. Each municipality does not need to invent its own digital ecosystem from scratch. The state could define standardised use-case packages: smart parking, public Wi-Fi, environmental sensors, digital permits, waste monitoring, tourism information, emergency alerts and municipal service portals. Operators and ICT companies could compete to provide solutions under common technical standards. EU funds and donor projects could finance pilots. Successful pilots could then be scaled nationally.
This would turn 5G from coverage into application. The current model risks leaving advanced networks underused. A better model would connect infrastructure to public-service outcomes and business value. Montenegro’s small size is an advantage here. It should be easier to coordinate a national set of digital-service pilots across 24 municipalities than in larger countries. The obstacle is not scale; it is execution capacity.
The IPv6 target should be treated as a priority indicator. Moving from 0 per cent implementation in state bodies at end-2025 toward 65 per cent in 2026 will require a serious administrative push. That means technical audits, budget allocation, staff training, cybersecurity assessment, procurement planning and clear institutional ownership. Without such a push, the 2027 target of 85 per cent will remain unrealistic. IPv6 is not glamorous, but it is one of the technical foundations for the next generation of public digital systems.
Cybersecurity training should be treated with the same urgency. A modern 5G-enabled state cannot depend on undertrained staff. Cybersecurity is not only the responsibility of specialist agencies. It must become part of the operating culture of ministries, municipalities, public companies and regulators. As digital services expand, the attack surface expands. Montenegro’s recent history and the wider regional cyber-risk environment make this especially important.
The electromagnetic-radiation geoportal should also be completed quickly. Public trust is a precondition for digital infrastructure. If citizens can see measurement data and understand where infrastructure is located, public debate becomes more evidence-based. This is particularly important in smaller communities where rumours can slow permitting for base stations or create resistance to network upgrades. Transparency reduces friction.
From an economic-development perspective, Montenegro’s current position is both promising and vulnerable. The country has a telecom foundation that many larger or more fragmented economies would envy. 5G coverage above 88 per cent of territory is a real asset. Main-road coverage supports tourism, logistics, transport and regional connectivity. But the value of that asset will decline if services do not follow. Network infrastructure ages quickly. Competitive advantage comes from use.
Montenegro should therefore shift the digital agenda from coverage metrics to service metrics. The key questions should become: how many public procedures can be completed fully online, how many municipalities have smart-service pilots, how many state bodies operate on IPv6, how many public datasets are open and machine-readable, how many cybersecurity trainings have been completed, how many companies use 5G-enabled solutions, and how much administrative time has been saved for citizens and businesses.
Those metrics would give a clearer picture of digital transformation than coverage alone. Telecom coverage is necessary, but it is an input. The outputs are faster services, lower business costs, better tourism management, safer infrastructure, cleaner public data and higher productivity.
Montenegro’s 5G rollout shows that the country can meet important infrastructure commitments when operators, regulators and policy frameworks align. The unfinished part is more difficult because it requires the public sector to change how it works. Networks can be built with investment. Digital states require coordination, skills, cybersecurity, data governance and accountability.
The latest report therefore delivers a useful warning. Montenegro has passed the first test of 5G deployment, but not yet the second test of digital transformation. The infrastructure is increasingly in place. The services, institutions and governance model still have to catch up. Without that second step, 5G will remain a telecom success. With it, Montenegro can turn connectivity into a real development tool for citizens, municipalities, tourism, business and EU integration.
