Investigations into service prices/ Competition Authority imposes obligations on mobile operators

2026-07-27 16:51:14, Kosova & Bota CNA

Investigations into service prices/ Competition Authority imposes obligations on

The Competition Authority, at the conclusion of the in-depth investigation into Vodafone Albania and One Albania in the retail mobile services market, has not imposed penalties on the operators, but has nevertheless imposed specific conditions and obligations that reflect consumer complaints to the Authority.

According to the institution's announcement, the Competition Commission's decision aims to correct specific concerns that have affected consumers and guarantee cheaper prices for pensioners and students, as well as more transparency and choice for subscribers of both operators.

During the period investigated, progressive and approximate price increases, high similarity between packages, reduction of low-priced offers and deficiencies in documenting costs justifying tariff changes were found.

As a result, the Competition Authority imposed the following measures:

• within 90 days, both operators must offer special, more favorable packages for pensioners and students aged 18–23;

• the cheapest package must actually be available at physical points of sale, not just in online applications or digital channels;

• after the end of the contract, every subscriber should have the right to switch to a cheaper package, without penalties and without unjustified obstacles;

• any change in price, content or validity of the package must be notified to the subscriber individually, clearly and at least 30 days in advance;

• any price increase must be based on documented cost analyses and this documentation must be retained for five years;

• new packages must have real differentiation and not limit consumer choice;

• standard contracts must receive prior assessment by the Competition Authority to avoid unfair clauses;

• The procedure and deadline for porting a number from one operator to another must be clearly and understandably written in the contract.

According to the Competition Authority, the decision corrects concrete consumer problems: such as the lack of

information, difficulty in choosing a cheaper package, limited access to offers

economic, contractual uncertainties and lack of alternatives for low-income groups.

All obligations imposed by the Competition Authority will be monitored for one year from the entry into force of the decision.

In case of non-implementation of one of the points of the decision, Vodafone Albania and One Albania will face the penalties provided for by the law "On the Protection of Competition"./Monitor