Fixed line phone bills increased to 600 lek

TIRANA, Fixed line phone operator Albtelecom has increased the monthly subscription to lek 600 (6 dollars), up from 358 lek currently. The new fees will enter into force starting from next August, said the Electronic Communications Agency.
Altin Rrapaj, the agency’s market regulatory director, said the increases came after calculations made using a new methodology of costs.
Local call charges will also increase to 3 lek, up from 2.5 currently. Meanwhile, international call charges are expected to be lowered.
Albtelecom is the largest fixed-line phone operator in the country offering its services in all urban areas of the country. It operates on the Albanian market with some major services such as fixed telephone, ISDN service, Dedicated Internet acc, ADSL, Dial-up, Intranet, Prepaid Cards, etc.
Albtelecom has borrowed 100 million euros ($128 million) from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Black Sea Bank to upgrade its network and increase capacity.
Government plans to sell its minority stake in Albtelecom and has also selected an international Croatian consortium as consultant for its privatization.
Turkey’s Calik Enerji Telekomunikasyon AS and Turk Telekom (TTKOM.IS) bought 76 percent of Albtelecom for 120 million euros ($154 mln) three years ago after re-negotiating a contract it had signed with the previous Socialist government in 2005.