Kosovo’s Regulatory Authority for Post and Electronic Communications (Autoriteti Rregullator i Komunikimeve Elektronike dhe Postare, ARKEP) has opened a public consultation on a draft plan to implement a ‘roam like at home’ policy with Albania. The decision would see ARKEP regulate the following tariffs: wholesale roaming tariffs Kosovar cellcos apply to Albanian providers when the latter’s subscribers are roaming in Kosovo; call termination rates for international calls related to roaming between the two countries; and the retail tariffs charged by Kosovar mobile providers whilst their subscribers are roaming in Albania. The consultation lasts until 15 April 2019 and the regulated rates are scheduled to take effect from 15 June 2019. The draft decision sets out a glidepath for wholesale rates until 1 July 2025, along with the maximum additional charge and maximum retail fees for the next two years. Under the terms of the decision, the initial retail price ceilings would be set at EUR0.19 (USD0.21) per minute for calls, EUR0.06 for SMS and EUR0.18 per MB.
In a related development, ARKEP has adopted a decision finalising a new frequency plan. The decision allows for spectrum in the 790MHz-862MHz band to be used for mobile and fixed communications networks (MCFN), whilst the 880MHz-815MHz/925MHz-960MHz and 1710MHz-1785MHz/1805MHz-1880MHz bands can now be used for GSM, UMTS, LTE, WiMAX and IoT wireless systems.