ARKEP explains phone calls made in Kosovo by other countries

An exile from Finland has said that after calling his family to Kosovo, with the new +383 phone code, his phone bill has come up with an extreme amount.

According to him, from a call he made in Kosovo, which has lasted 4 minutes and 22 seconds, has paid 87.62 euros.

That's because one minute in the new phone code, it's 19.87 Euro.

That's what he reacted to. A KREP, saying that the prices of exit calls by every operator in the world are appointed by those operators in countries from them.

They have further added that the ARKEP is handling the case presented in the media for calling made by the Finnish operator Telia.

According to them, despite the fact that it is out of the responsibilities of the ARKEP decision-making issue, they are seeking additional information from the operator in question to see what is the reason for this case's over-tarifiation for calling from this operator to Kosovo code 383.

Below, find their announcement:

ARKEP announces public opinion that the prices of out-of-charge calls from every operator in the world are appointed by those operators in their countries.

The beginning of the use of the 383 code for Kosovo allows that in relations between Kosovo and international operators, whether for setting the price of calls or even their orientation, there will be no more mediators benefiting from the use of codes of other states. Our operators are free to directly negotiate majority prices (among operators) for international calls. In this context, prices applied by Kosovo's Republika Srpska operators for international operators have not changed, so there is no single argument that international retail calls in the 383 code are more expensive. Consequently, implementing code 383 eliminates barriers that have so far existed with the use of 3 codes.

Currently, prior to the final removal of the use of additional codes for Kosovo, we have been encouraged by our officials that no call-in rate for the new code has been changed.

ARKEP is addressing the case presented in the media today for calling by Finnish operator Telia and despite the fact that it is out of the responsibilities of ARKEP decision-making this case, as it comes to the retail prices, which puts the operator (in this case Telia), we are seeking additional information from the operator in question to see what's the reason for this case's overtag of this call from this operator in the direction of Kosovo with the 383 code.

ARKEPs called on all our citizens in the diaspora, but others calling towards Kosovo, to announce to their operators, even the other evental cases when there are calls to the 383 code.

ARKEP reconfirms that obtaining the state code +383 exclusively for Kosovo from the ITU is the crucial step of Kosovo's full independence in the telecom field, and that will have a long-term positive effect both on phone prices and also on the development of the telecom sector.

AFRKEP remains committed to complete implementation of the code

Phone 383 and all these and other issues of importance to the electronic communications market will keep public opinion informed.