Kosovo’s telecoms watchdog, the Regulatory Authority for Post and Electronic Communications (Autoriteti Rregullator i Komunikimeve Elektronike dhe Postare, ARKEP), has renewed the spectrum licences of incumbent cellcos Telecom Kosovo (TK – which operates under the Vala brand) and IPKO for 20 more years.
Local news outlet Koha cites ARKEP chairman Kreshnik Gashi as saying that TK has had spectrum authorisations comprising 2×10MHz in the 900MHz band and 2×25MHz range renewed, whilst IPKO’s concessions covering 2×10MHz of 900MHz range spectrum and 2×20MHz in the 1800MHz band were also updated. State-owned TK will pay EUR15.7 million (USD17.5 million) over ten instalments for its renewal, whist IPKO is expected to pay EUR11.7 million.
As noted by TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, the licence renewal is the first phase of the regulator’s spectrum allocation programme. The next stage is due to take place during H2 2019 and will feature the auctioning of unused frequencies in the 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz and 2600MHz bands.