Telenor planning over EUR 100 million of investments in Serbia in 2019 – New employments announced as well

The new CEO of Telenor Serbia, Mike Michel, announced that the company planned to invest more than EUR 100 million in Serbia’s economy in 2019 through direct investments in the telecommunications infrastructure, the improvement of mobile internet, the development of digital technologies, taxes and salaries and other expenses.

– Telenor’s investments will be oriented toward satisfying user demand. Over 50% of infrastructural investments will certainly be put in the development of the capacities of the network, the internet and the use of services, as well as in innovations – he said in his interview with Beta.

As he pointed out, 2018 was a good year for the operations of Telenor Serbia. In the past three quarters, the company has grown faster than the competition and the number of users is 3% higher compared to the same period in 2017.

– We are a leader when it comes to income and our ambition to keep it that way is strong – Michel added.

He expressed his satisfaction over the fact that, according to RATEL’s independent assessment of the quality of mobile networks in Serbia in 2018, Telenor Serbia had the highest total score in all categories: the best 3G and 4G network, the best web browsing experience and the best contact service.

– We are satisfied with the result, but it is important for us to continue providing the best possible service to our users, without making any compromises when it comes to the quality. We offer not just megabytes, but a large number of services and rich web content as well – Michel said.

The CEO of Telenor Serbia also said that Serbia “undoubtedly has a good business climate” and added that “Telenor does a lot to promote Serbia as a good investment destination”. According to him, the business environment is getting better, but he believes there is still room for improvement and points out that Telenor will always support predictability in business, transparency and the principles of fair play.

Michel believes that this company, in cooperation with the Government of Serbia and other players in the market, can contribute to the progress of digitalization in the country, which has become a priority in nearly all fields.

– Telenor tested the 5G network in Serbia back in 2016. The readiness is there, but the commercial and the regulatory aspects need to improve before it is implemented – Michel said.

He also said that Telenor Serbia, which currently employs over 900 people, planned to increase the number of employees, due to the expected growth of Serbia’s economy and the retail market itself, but added that it was still early to specify the number.

Michel is satisfied with the way Telenor Serbia, but also the Telenor Foundation, approach social responsibility.

In mid-2018, the Czech PPF became the owner of 100% of Telenor’s operations in Central and Eastern Europe for EUR 2.8 billion. Their TC portfolio now includes the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro.

Yettel d.o.o. Beograd

TELENOR ASA

PPF Group N.V. Netherlands

Telenor fondacija

RATEL Beograd

Mike Michel

investments of Telenor in Serbia

mobile internet

telecommunications infrastructure

digitalization

3G network

4G network

5G network