The EBRD's April 2008 €75 million investment in the modernization of Albtelecom, Albania's largest telecommunications provider, has helped modernise key telecommunications services in Albania.
Albtelecom was established in 1912 and is one of the oldest companies in Albania. It was privatised in 2007 when the Albanian government sold a 76% stake to a consortium of Turk Telecom and Calik Enerji, a fully-owned subsidiary of the Turkish conglomerate, Calik Group.
Albtelecom is catching up fast with modern methods by introducing better-quality services for its customers. The company serves about 7 per cent of the country’s 3.6 million people.In March 2008 Albtelecom launched its mobile operations under the Eagle Mobile brand, the third mobile network in Albania. By September 2008, over 100,000 customers had subscribed.
The EBRD investment is supporting the liberalisation and modernisation of Albtelecom to encourage competition in the market and tariff restructuring. This in return will benefit the Albanian people.
