The telecoms watchdogs of Albania and Kosovo have finalised an agreement to reduce roaming fees between the two countries, applying the same principles of the EU’s ‘roam like home’ policy. Under the agreement, regulated pricing structures will be put in place from 15 June 2019 to ensure that mobile subscribers from Kosovo do not pay higher tariffs for services whilst roaming in Albania (and vice versa) than they would in their home market. The pact will initially reduce the cost of roaming by around 90% with operators allowed to charge a small surcharge during a transitional period, whilst roaming fees will be lifted entirely from 1 July 2021, when a wider region-wide agreement comes into effect.
New regulations introduced by Kosovo’s Regulatory Authority for Post and Electronic Communications (Autoriteti Rregullator i Komunikimeve Elektronike dhe Postare, ARKEP) and its sister organisation in Albania – the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (Autoritetit Te Komunikimeve Elektronike Dhe Postare, AKEP) – to enforce the deal establish: the conditions for wholesale access to public mobile communications networks in order to provide regulated roaming services; and transitory rules for tariffs that can be applied by roaming providers for the provision of regulated roaming services for voice and SMS calls originated and terminated between Kosovo and Albania, as well as for data services used by roaming subscribers. The rules apply both to wholesale and retail tariffs for roaming and related roaming charges between Kosovo and Albania.