Kosovo - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Kosovo begins using new country dialling code

Kosovo has benefited from financial and regulatory assistance as part of the EU pre-accession process. The EU remains Kosovo's main trading partner and its main source of foreign direct investment. The economy is significantly driven by trade with Germany and Switzerland, where most expatriates live and work. Remittances from such workers form an important part of household incomes.

The telecom sector has been liberalised, with legislation introduced in late 2012 to align with the EU's revised regulatory framework. It also adopted measures relating to competition and to facilitating the market entry of new players. Nevertheless, poor telecom infrastructure has meant that fixed-line penetration remains low by European standards. Unlike most markets, the fixed-line broadband sector is dominated by new players, in particular the cable operator Ipko, a subsidiary of Telekom Slovenia.

Broadband penetration in Kosovo is developing, though slowly. There is effective competition between the main cable and DSL operators, though as yet there is little progress with the expansion of fibre networks: investment by the incumbent PTK in building out an upgraded fibre-based NGN has been insufficient thus far, exacerbated by the company's financial difficulties. A fine 32 million fine imposed on PTK for a breach of contract against the MVNO Z Mobile was waived by the latter in May 2017, partly through concerns that PTK could not pay the fine.

Although there are a number of smaller ISPs the sector is dominated by only three players: PTK, Ipko and Kujtesa. Cable accounts for the majority of broadband connections.

The mobile sector accounts for most telecom lines for voice services, as well as the greater part of telecom revenue. Two MNOs dominate the sector. Telenor Serbia and VIP Mobile stopped offering unlicensed mobile voice and data services in mid-29017 across border regions as part of a deal by which Kosovo secured its own dialling code.

Key developments:

Telecom regulator prepares for multi-spectrum auction and number portability;
Kosovo begins using 383 national dialling code;
Regulator sets revised MTR charges to July 2018;
Z Mobile waives 32 million fine awarded to it against PTK;
Regulator preps for additional mobile licences to be used for mobile broadband;
Vala expands LTE service reach;
Albtelecom and PTK complete the second fibre-optic system between Albania and Kosovo;
Kosovo adopts new Law On Electronic Communications;
Ipko launches an 80Mb/s service offer;
Report update includes the regulator's annual report for 2016 market data to December 2017, telcos' data to Q1 2018, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Post and Telecommunications of Kosovo (Telecom Kosovo, Vala), Ipko, Artmotion, Kujtesa; Dukagjini Telecommunications, Dardafon.