"Telenor" Sues Ratel - Controversial Price from a Mobile to Fixed Line Numbers

The company "Telenor" submitted today (July 7, 2010.) to the Administrative Court lawsuit against the Republic Telecommunications Agency (Ratel) because of discriminatory and exorbitant fees for calls from mobiles and companies in the fixed network of Telekom Serbia. "

General Director of Telenor in Serbia cel-Morten Jonsen told Beta that the price of "scheduling" a call about four times higher than the price "Telenor" charged competition in Norway.

- There is no reason to "SEVEN" user pays the mobile network calls over the fixed network of Telekom Serbia "than it pays "SEVEN" by fixed-line telephony, as the costs for "Telekom Serbia" equal - said Jonsen.

"Telenor" it can not accept, said, in accordance with Serbian law filed a complaint to the Administrative Court in Belgrade that the issue is finally resolved.

I do not see a reason that this dispute is not resolved in a businesslike manner. We expect the court to be impartial - said Jonsen.

According to the decision of the Republic Telecommunications Agency (Ratel) on the pricing of access to infrastructure, "Telekom Serbia" and interconnection fees, fees for calls from fixed network, "Telenor in the fixed network of Telekom is 0.68 dinars per minute during heavy traffic, while the cost of scheduling a call from "Telenor Mobile" to"Telekom" fixed-network 1.83 dinars per minute.

Jonsen said that "Telenor's earlier RTA submitted a proposal for an acceptable amount of compensation based on the principle of "cost plus", from which the Agency is on track.

Filing Claims, said, not influence the decision, "Telenor to operate and invest in Serbia, adding that it was a normal problem that happens in business.

Jonsen said that because of the high amount of compensation which the Ratel set to open loop "Telekom Serbia" and the use of copper pairs to individual users for the services of ADSL Internet "Telenor does not see room for serious investment in the area.

- It is crystal clear. We can not invest in ADSL internet access from the charity - said the general director of Telenor in Serbia, the company is the largest single foreign investor in the Serbian market.

Jonsen said that thanks to the decision Ratel on fees for access to telecommunications infrastructure of Telekom Serbia, progress in the implementation of the project, but that for technical reasons, take some time to connect.

As he said, "Telenor will begin to use the infrastructure of Telekom Serbia" and added that in parallel parallel progress in expanding "Telenor's" infrastructure.

- "Telenor" not only wants to use the infrastructure of Telekom Serbia, but to build his own. Telenor wants to invest money into the country, and throughout Serbia to ensure the appropriate infrastructure - said Jonsen.