AEC to announce a tender for a third mobile operator, letters of interest from three companies
The Agency for Electronic Communications (AEC) will announce a public tender or public tender with a public bidding for a third mobile operator, after the public debate for that purpose resulted in a written interest in the interest of On Macedonia Telecommunications DOOEL Skopje, Bitstrig Mobile DOOEL Skopje and E & PPF. C.
– AEC on 16.04.2025 announced the intention of conducting a public tender procedure with public bidding (intention). The duration of the public hearing after the announced intention was to end 16.05.2025. Upon completion of the public
Discussion to AEK has arrived in writing of interest from three stakeholders: ONE Macedonia Telecommunications DOOEL Skopje, Bittrig Mobile DOOEL Skopje and E & PPF Telekom Group B. C. Since the number of letters of interest received is greater than the published number of approvals for the use of radio frequencies to be issued, in accordance with Article 134 paragraph (6) indent 1, the AEC will publish a public tender or public tender with a public bidding – the AEC states in the announcement of its website for the results of the public hearing.
On Macedonia Telecommunications during the public hearing, among other things, proposed the annual fees for the use of the frequency spectrum to begin to be calculated from the date of commercial release of the network, not from the date of issuance of the permit. The AEC, on the other hand, responds that there is no legal possibility of delaying the payment obligation, nor the possibility of temporary reduction or refund of part of the annual fee for radio frequency use.
E & PPF Telekom Group, meanwhile, stated that the proposed minimum amounts of fees were too high, in particular, as they say, given the significant investments needed for the EPF to enter the Macedonian market if it succeeds in the tender.
AEC in his paragraph on the E & PPF Telekom Group proposal states that the minimum amount of one -off compensation is determined on the basis of a detailed analysis of previous radio frequency granting procedures. In accordance with the ZEC, the AEC is obliged to apply regulatory principles for objectivity, transparency, non -discrimination and proportionality by ensuring that, in similar circumstances, there is no discrimination in the treatment of operators. Therefore, the AEC is not able to make a reduction in the minimum amount of the one -off compensation, reads the response of the Agency for Electronic Communications.
In the letter of interest, the interested party Bittrig Mobile DOOEL Skopje expressed interest in radio frequencies in the radio frequency bands: 900 MHz for the Radio Frequency Block 880-890/925-935 MHz, 2100 MHz for Radiofrequency Block 1920- 1930/2110-2120 Radiofrequency block 3460-3500 MHz.
Regarding the letter of Bittrig Mobile DOOEL Skopje, AEK informs that it will announce a new intention to conduct a public tender procedure with a public bidding because of that letter expressing the intention of radio frequency that is not subject to the already published intention.
If the AEC arrives additional letters of interest after the posted intention by mail and sent within the prescribed deadline, the AEC announces that it will make an adequate addition to the results of the public hearing and the position of the Agency for Electronic Communications and the Public Intentance for Public Tender.
AEK announced the intention to conduct a public tender procedure with a public bidding for a new network operator in the country last month, and at the request of « One Macedonia Telecommunications », the company registered the Hungarian Telecom Company « 4 IG » in the country after the announcement of the Macedonian telecommunications market.
Approval, according to the intention, will only be issued to new network operators, ie letters of interest were not able to submit existing network operators (A1 Macedonia and Makedonski Telekom).
