Serbia Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

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Last updated: 5 Dec 2024 Update History

Report Status: Current

Report Pages: 184

Serbia delays 5G auction to end-2025

Serbia’s telecom industry has been liberalised in line with the principles of the EU’s regulatory framework for communications, focussed on encouraging competition in telecom products and services, and ensuring universal access.

Considerable network investment has been undertaken in Serbia by incumbent and alternative operators in recent years, despite economic difficulties. This has helped to stimulate internet usage, which has also been bolstered by improved affordability as prices are reduced through competition. The government’s various initiatives to improve rural broadband availability have also been supported by European development loans.

Serbia’s high mobile penetration, partly the result of multiple SIM card use, has weighed on revenue growth in recent years, placing further pressure on operators to develop business models which encourage consumer use of mobile data services also in response to the continued substitution of fixed-line for mobile voice calls.

However, while LTE is widely available, the development of 5G services has been held back by delays in auctioning suitable spectrum, which are not expected to be held until the last quarter of 2025. Despite this, operators have invested in 5G infrastructure in preparation for this next growth frontier. Telekom Srbija expected to launch 5G services in early 2026 and to provide national coverage by the end of 2027.

There have been considerable developments in the fixed-line broadband segment, particularly with the ongoing transition from copper to fibre. Yettel Serbia, owned by e& PPF Telecom, entered the fixed market in November 2021 and now offers extensive fibre-based fixed broadband, fixed voice, and digital TV services. The operator is looking to bolster its returns by focussing more strongly on the uptake of converged services in the market. These developments could lead to a significant shift in the telecom market landscape.

Key developments:

  • Auction for 5G spectrum in the 700MHz, 2,600MHz, and 3,600MHz bands is put off to the fourth quarter of 2025.
  • Telekom Srbija contracts Huawei to upgrade its fibre network speeds to 10Gb/s.
  • Telecom regulator enforces SIM card registration provisions with a February 2025 deadline.
  • Emirates Telecommunications buys a controlling stake in PPF Telecom.
  • Telekom Srbija acquires the MVNO Globaltel and merges it into its business.
  • Work starts on the Kragujevac Innovation District aimed at supporting start-ups and digital innovation.
  • Report update includes the regulator’s annual reports, market data report to September 2024, telcos’ operating and financial data to Q3 2024, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Mobilna Telefonija Srbija (MTS), Telekom Srbija, A1 Serbia, Telenor Serbia, Serbia Broadband (SBB), I.KOM, Knight Development Support, Invest-Inženjering, Beogrid, JET TV, Kopernikus Technology, BeotelNet, Posta NET, Sat Trakt, Telemark and Radijus vektor.

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