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Prishtinë, Feb 7, 2007 – Kosovo’s Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) announced officially yesterday that the winner of the tender for the second mobile operator is “Kosmocell”, which consists of the companies “Dukagjini” and “Kujtesa” and another Italian-American company. The consortium that is declared the winner of the bid for the second mobile operator is headed by a Kosovo businessman.
Kosmocell – a partnership between local companies Dukagjini, Kujtesa and an Italian-U.S. operator – emerged first, beating a consortium between Telekom Slovenija and the Kosovo provider Ipko Net, Mobilkom Austria, as well as Team Kosova, officials of the board of Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said.
Kosmocell offered €81 million (about US$104.8 million) for the license, officials said. Kosovo already has one cell-phone service operator under a deal between the Kosovo Post Telecom and Monaco Telecom.
The first bid process to select the second operator in Kosovo in 2004 was cancelled by U.N. authorities after the procedure was contested by Kosovo’s prime minister and U.S. diplomats.
The licence represents one of the largest private investments conducted up to now in Kosovo during 2007.
ECIKS