Tech

ONE Albania will reduce data roaming costs with the EU, as part of a joint initiative

ONE Albania will reduce data roaming costs with the EU, as part of a joint

From October 1, citizens and businesses in Europe and the Western Balkans will benefit from lower data roaming rates. Thirty-eight telephone operators committed to significantly reduce the gap between roaming charges and domestic charges between EU and Western Balkan countries (in both directions).

This initiative should reduce the gap between roaming and domestic prices between the majority of the EU and the countries of the Western Balkans (in both directions), with the aim of strengthening the links between the two regions, encouraging and facilitating trade, cultural, tourist and others. Specific offers will be determined by each of the EU and Western Balkans telecommunications operators, based on their commercial decisions, with a ceiling price.

The initiative started with the signing of the Roaming Declaration, at the Digital Summit of the Western Balkans in Tirana, in December last year and has been supported by the institutions of the European Union and the Western Balkans.

As one of the largest investors in the telecommunications market in the Western Balkans, 4iG Group, investor of ONE Albania and One Montenegro, supported the cross-border movement initiative.

"As an enthusiastic investor in the Western Balkans, we remain committed to the economic integration of this region with the European Union and we are happy to receive the first results of the agreement in October. We welcome the economic integration to expand further, with other players in the market and other fields, especially in information and communication technology." – said Péter Fekete, Group CEO of 4iG Plc.

The significant reduction of prices for customers of EU countries means the strengthening of ties between the latter and the Western Balkans region, encouraging the possibility of doing business outside the borders, due to lower operational costs. From the point of view of the Western Balkans, the region will become a more attractive destination for tourists coming from the countries of the European Union, thus creating multiple effects for the economies of these countries.

Specifically, the operators agreed on a maximum level of retail price ("ceiling price") for 1 GB, in the period from October 2023 to 2028: 18 euros on 1 October 2023, 14 euros in 2026 and 9 euros in 2028. The objective remains an optimal harmonization of data roaming charges.

"We expect that the reduction of data roaming costs will have an impact on the increase of exchange and communication between the countries of the EU and the Western Balkans, which means increased opportunities for the economies of our region." - said Emil Georgakiev, CEO of One Albania.

The countries of the Western Balkans have already introduced in the region the initiative "Roam like at home-Fol si n'shpi" in July 2019 and fully "Roam Like at Home" in July 2021, a commitment that consisted in the gradual reduction and subsequent elimination of tariffs roaming allowance between Western Balkan economies.