Parliament demands monitoring of mobile service quality, operators complain about being hindered by permits

2025-10-16 07:17:00, Ekonomi CNA

Parliament demands monitoring of mobile service quality, operators complain

The Albanian Parliament recommends that the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP) continue monitoring mobile telephony service quality indicators, especially in tourist areas and road axes.

In the resolution on the evaluation of the activity of this institution for 2024 and the main recommendations for 2025, the Assembly recommends that AKEP request from the two operators in the market the establishment of provisional stations or the optimization of existing antennas, in areas where signal coverage does not meet optimal quality parameters.

Especially during the summer season, the quality of communication services and especially the internet is often problematic in coastal tourism areas. Due to the high concentration of vacationers, the speed of the internet from mobile networks is very slow, to the point of complete lack of service.

Also, on certain road axes, especially in areas with rugged terrain, there is a lack of signal coverage from mobile companies.

In its 2024 annual report, AKEP emphasizes that, in order to improve the provision of mobile telephony services throughout the territory of the Republic of Albania, the construction of new sites (mini-stations) by operators is necessary. However, according to AKEP, operators encounter difficulties in obtaining environmental permits, have problems with the refusal of residents of buildings where the construction of these mini-stations has been determined, but also with the non-renewal of leases of current mini-stations by state institutions.

AKEP states that mobile operators build stations every year to improve service in tourist areas, beaches and road axes. However, in areas where signal coverage does not meet performance parameters, operators, after the intervention of AKEP structures, have seen the possibility of optimizing existing antennas that cover the area as well as installing provisional stations, up to the construction of new stations dedicated to covering geographically isolated areas, for which the issuance of permits by the relevant institutions is awaited.

In renewing authorizations for some of the frequencies in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands last year, AKEP also applied changes to the conditions for ensuring coverage and quality of service.

According to the new requirements, mobile operators will ensure enhanced service coverage of the population up to 99% of the inhabited areas for each region, compared to the minimum of 95% that was set in the previous authorization.

Also, mobile operators must ensure that service coverage in the territory of the Republic of Albania is at least 95%, and especially for the entire length of national road axes of categories A (motorways) and B (main interurban roads), tunnels, areas included in development projects and of particular importance, coverage must be over 99%, while for road axes of categories C and above, coverage must be over 96%.

For tourist areas (within the definitions of the legislation in force for protected areas), coverage should be up to 99%.

Mobile operators, within February of each year, during the first 5 years from the issuance of the Individual Authorization, must submit to AKEP a detailed report on the progress of achieving the above coverage and quality of service conditions, in particular for currently uncovered areas./ Monitor