Lucic: Kurti’s Clear Intent to Make Life Harder for Serbs, License in Kosovo Expected After Elections

The General Director of Telekom Srbija, Vladimir Lucic, expressed optimism regarding obtaining a license to operate in Kosovo, despite challenges posed by the administration of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, reports RTS.

Lucic stated that Telekom Srbija is set to receive a 5G license in the first quarter of next year and expects to implement the network quickly across Serbia. He also highlighted that Telekom’s operations in the U.S. are expanding, with an anticipated 10,000 TV users by the end of the year, and announced free roaming-free calls for the Serbian diaspora.

A month ago, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) had approved funding for specific Telekom projects amounting to €50 million.

Appearing on RTS’s Morning Program, Lucic emphasized the importance of such a significant institution entering Serbia, facilitating project funding, and announced that Telekom plans to secure a 5G license by 2025.

“In the first quarter of next year, we’ll receive the 5G license. With financing from the European Investment Bank, we’ll rapidly implement 5G across Serbia. In Montenegro, we covered all cities within a year,” Lucic said.

Free Calls for the Diaspora

Discussing expansion in the U.S. market, Lucic noted that operations have begun in America, with expectations of reaching 10,000 TV subscribers by year-end and launching a mobile network in the first quarter of next year, similar to operations in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

“To connect with our diaspora, in April next year, we’ll enable free, roaming-free calls for our citizens using our network abroad,” Lucic stated.

He added that support from Washington and Brussels is crucial, as Telekom’s development relies on strong relationships with financial institutions in Western Europe and major digital platforms in the U.S.

“Political support is less critical when you speak the language of business, maintain stable operations, and demonstrate quality, as companies like Vodafone and Amazon recognize. We are a large company expanding into the media sector. It’s important that our work is understood, especially since the state is our majority owner,” Lucic explained.

Challenges with Kurti

On the other hand, Lucic described a different situation in Kosovo, where Telekom faces issues with Kurti’s administration.

“It’s evident that Kurti intends to make life harder for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Still, I’m optimistic that we’ll secure a license to operate in Kosovo, especially since the U.S. administration helped us significantly when Kurti attempted to shut down Telekom in Kosovo,” Lucic said, adding that he does not expect a decision on the license before elections in Kosovo.

He pointed out that operating in Kosovo is challenging due to numerous provocations aimed at eliciting a reaction from Telekom.

“The atmosphere is difficult. Our obligation is to ensure uninterrupted telecommunication services. We didn’t face such issues before,” Lucic said.

Growth and Innovation

Reflecting on the year’s operations, Lucic noted that Telekom Srbija became the first company in the Western Balkans to go public, an expected move given its digital strategy.