Summarizing the effects of the application of the ”no-roaming zone” in our region, CRA recalled that as of July 1st, 2021, the collection of additional fees was abolished, and charging for regulated roaming services (calls, SMS messages, and data transmission) is carried out according to retail prices, i.e. according to the principle of “roaming like at home”.

”Based on the available data, it can be noted that in 2021 the number of roaming users in the Western Balkans region is at the level of 2019. In 2020, a significant drop in the number of users was recorded, as well as a drop in roaming traffic in the Western Balkans region, which is a direct consequence of the COVID-19 virus epidemic. Observed by quarters, the largest amount of traffic was realized during the third quarter of 2021, that is, during the holiday season when citizens travel more,” the CRA stated.

According to the CRA’s knowledge, there were no difficulties when implementing the ”roaming like at home” principle. Operators informed users in a timely manner about the conditions for using roaming in the Western Balkan region. Also, users could be informed via the CRA’s website.

Moreover, the CRA confirmed that an initiative has been launched to reduce the prices of roaming services between the European Union (EU) and the region of the Western Balkans. roaming like at home balkans

Agreement on the price reduction of the roaming services

In the countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, BiH, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia), from July 1st, the maximum price of roaming fees in mobile telephony is applied in accordance with the rule ”as in domestic traffic”.

This is defined by the Agreement on the price reduction of the roaming services in public mobile communication networks in the Western Balkans region, which was signed at the Digital Summit in April 2019 in Belgrade, and which entered into force on July 1st, 2019.

”People want and need to be in touch in different ways, and a region without roaming is one way to make it happen,” the CRA said.

EU support roaming like at home balkans

Setting up a roaming-free zone is also a significant step of the Western Balkans in aligning with the EU Digital Single Market principles and practices, which the Common Regional Market agreed by the Western Balkan leaders in the Sofia Summit under the Berlin process, in November 2020 will further support. The next step will be the preparation of a roadmap for the reduction of roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkans.