Citizens now have choice - Orion Telekom is new fixed telephony operator in Serbia

(Photo: Orion telekom)

Starting June, the citizens of Serbia will be able to use the services of new fixed telephony operator Orion Telekom. The newly founded company has started providing mobile Internet services in Belgrade, not only in central city boroughs, but also in the suburbs, while wireless fixed telephony for private and business users will be available from June, and it should reach all rural areas in Serbia by the end of the year.

With the help of the EBRD, Orion Telekom, a result of the merger of Internet providers SezamPro, Neobee.Net and MediaWorks, invested EUR 24m in the development of infrastructure. According to the announcement from the yesterday's (May 26, 2010) promotion, the company plans to invest additional EUR 50m within next five years.

Slobodan Đinović, CEO of Orion Telekom, said that "the EBRD has recognized the right moment for liberalization of telecommunications services and a good starting platform for formation of the future biggest alternative operator in Serbia".

- We are going to invest in the network expansion in the following period, not only in Serbia, but also in the region. Our plan is to expand the portfolio of services and offer them outside the borders of our country, to connect all neighboring countries to a single telecommunications network, and to offer our users the possibility to choose one operator for all services in the countries of the region - said Đinović.

(Photo: Orion)

Besides, as he pointed out, Orion Telekom will also invest in the staff education and the development of a strong team made of domestic experts by training and promoting young talents and experts.

Orion Telekom's services include the services of wireless fixed telephony, fixed and mobile Internet.

Although the prices are not published on the company's website yet, we have learned that a fixed telephony connection costs about RSD 7,000, while monthly subscription, which also includes Internet services and 100 minutes of local calls, amounts to about RSD 600+VAT.

Telenor - the third fixed telephony operator

Orion Telekom got the license through MediaWorks in May 2009 to provide the fixed telephony services by means of CDMA technology.

The license for fixed telephony operator, the same as Telekom's, has been granted to Telenor. Therefore, it is not a wireless, but a classical cable telephony.

M.K.