Regional agreements need to lower roaming prices

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Internet roaming prices will go down but not soon, Serbia’s Telecommunications Minister Rasim Ljajic said on Friday.

Lower roaming prices cannot be expected in Serbia soon because several agreements have to be signed first, the minister said, adding that the first of those is an agreement between all six Western Balkan countries before an agreement can be signed with the European Union which would lead to a gradual reduction of roaming Internet services.  

Serbia already has agreements covering roaming with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia and expects to sign agreement with Albania and Kosovo by next spring at the latest, Ljajic told TV Pink.  

“We are paying Internet prices 30 percent higher than in the rest of Europe and those prices would first drop to 70 Euro cents, then to 45 cents and finally to 20 cents,” the minister said. Ljajic added that efforts are being invested to change the prices of mobile phone calls and text messages.