At the outset of this month, an agreement involving 38 telecom operators from Western Balkan nations and the European Union has come into force. This agreement has been designed to bring about a significant reduction in internet roaming fees.

This development allows mobile phone users in Albania to access lower rates for internet usage when they are in European Union countries. Additionally, it permits foreign tourists to benefit from more economical internet rates while in Albania. Among Albania’s two mobile operators, only one has chosen to participate in this agreement.

Substantial reductions in internet rates have been implemented as of October 1. In particular, internet roaming rate in Zone 1 (comprising most EU countries) has been reduced from 60 Albanian lek/MB (megabyte) to 2.4 Albanian lek/MB for Prepaid subscribers, from 50 Albanian lek/MB to 2.4 Albanian lek/MB for Individual Contract subscribers, and from 40 Albanian lek/MB to 2.4 Albanian lek/MB for Business Contract subscribers. This newly established rate will serve as the standard when subscribers do not have an active roaming package.

The new internet rates are applicable to more than 1.4 million active subscribers of the mobile operator, who will now enjoy reduced internet rates when using their mobile numbers in EU countries.

Users of both Albanian mobile operators have the option of accessing communication packages for roaming at even more budget-friendly costs, which are offered at fixed prices.

This initiative to reduce roaming internet charges was initiated with the signing of the Roaming Declaration at the Western Balkans Digital Summit held in Tirana in December of the previous year. It has received support from institutions within the European Union and the Western Balkans.

The primary objective of this initiative is to narrow the gap between roaming services and domestic pricing between EU and Western Balkan countries. It aims to bolster the ties between these two regions by encouraging and simplifying business, cultural exchanges, tourism, and other forms of interaction. The specific offerings will be determined by individual telecommunications operators in the EU and the Western Balkans based on their market decisions, with a maximum price cap in place.

To provide more detail, operators have concurred to establish a maximum wholesale price of 18 euros/GB (gigabyte), beginning on October 1, 2023; this will reduce to 14 euros/GB in 2026 and eventually decrease to 9 euros/GB in 2028.

This agreement to diminish roaming internet charges within EU countries comes after a similar arrangement was made to completely eliminate roaming charges between Western Balkan countries. Since late June 2021, mobile phone users in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina can communicate at no additional cost and with the same national plan rates when traveling within other countries in the region.

Data provided by INSTAT indicates that during the first eight months of this year, Albanians have recorded nearly 4.6 million departures from their country, marking a 19% increase compared to the previous year.