Kosovo Country Profile 2012

01/11/2011   The independence of February 2008, gave official recognition to Kosovo by the international community in 2009 and managed to obtain membership of international organizations like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Future candidate for the EU, it is a partner in the Mechanism of the European Union Stabilization monitoring, which aims to build an institutional, legislative, economic and social development achieved by the values and patterns made by the EU .

With the EU, Kosovo has received funding to build state institutions and improving cross-border cooperation within the EU funding instrument of accession aid. Kosovo should receive € 68.7 million in 2011 and € 70.0 million during 2012 the fund. The EU is the main trading partner of Kosovo and its main source of foreign direct investment.

The country's telecommunications industry was liberalized and the legislation was introduced which adopts the principles prescribed in the EU regulatory framework for communications, which promotes competition as the most effective way to offer products and communications services while ensuring universal access.

Before Kosovo's independence has operated his own telecommunications sector, with a separate ministry, regulator, network operators and service providers. Kosovo has yet to receive a country code of the International Telecommunication Union. And network operators in Kosovo on a current use of three codes of countries: Monaco (+377) Slovenia (+386) and Serbia (381).

Internet penetration in Kosovo is improving due to competition policy and the government implemented in recognition of the potential application of ICT to improve social and economic development. Broadband accounts for the majority of Internet connections, the infrastructure-based competition in the absence of a system of network access.

Kosovo booming mobile market has two mobile operators and a number of MVNOs. Competition has improved with the increased number of service providers. Mobile services are available via both postpaid and prepaid pricing options, with the latter instrumental in the popularization of mobile services due to its flexibility and affordability. mobile data services such as SMS, MMS, GPRS and EDGE are also available and will be increasingly important as a source of new revenue growth opportunities for new subscribers additions disappear into the mobile telephone market maturing.

Marekt highlights:

• Band represents the majority of Internet connections, ADSL, cable and wireless available. Competition is based on facilities, with well established and internationally owned cable television operators with a strong competition for ADSL by the incumbent operator. WiMAX network deployed by a cable television operator provides nearly universal coverage of the population.
• Digital television programming available on cable television operators. country's major broadcasters have formed a consortium to promote development of digital terrestrial television.
• The competition in the liberalized market fixed obvious that new entrants represent an increasing proportion of total fixed lines. Competition is based on infrastructure due to the current lack of a strong regulatory regime regarding access to the network.
• Healthy competition in the mobile market is evident with two mobile operators and two mobile virtual network operators providing services and pushing penetration rate of about 90% in 2010.