Telekom Srbija Launches in the US Dec. 1, Plan Costs $29
CEO Vladimir Lucic gave the price, what the plan includes and a goal of half a million users, and also spoke about his entry ban in Kosovo.
Telekom Srbija’s American SIM card will cost $29, and the company begins operating in the US market on December 1. CEO Vladimir Lucic gave the price, the launch date and the user target on October 19 in a statement to K1 television. He announced the move into the American market on October 13, and has now spoken for the first time about the concrete offer.
What does the $29 plan include?
For that price, the customer gets:
- a US SIM card with unlimited calls and text messages within the US
- 5 GB of mobile data
- unlimited calls to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro
- a TV package with 300 channels
- two apps, one for mobile phones and one for televisions
The mobile service runs on the network of the American carrier AT&T, which gives customers coverage across the whole US. Lucic described the offer briefly: “People will be able to call without limits and without roaming.” He introduced the TV side in these words: “Our TV package has 300 channels.”
How many users does Telekom Srbija expect in the US?
The goal is about 500,000 users in the first three years. Lucic said the company would ultimately be happy with a larger figure:
“We would be happy in America in the end to have around a million users.”
According to him, the offer is not aimed only at the diaspora from Serbia, but also at people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Lucic claims no other carrier from the region operates in the US, and concluded: “Our strength is that we are unique.” Telekom Srbija holds exclusive rights to Sarajevo channels, and has also obtained the rights to Albanian channels.
This is not the company’s first contact with partners there. Lucic says Telekom Srbija is the only company in Europe to receive funding from the American state bank Exim for building a 5G network, and that the partnership is now expanding to artificial intelligence. As he put it, the company’s aim is to become a partner to firms developing advanced technologies and to place domestic technology products on international markets. Asked about 6G, he answered that it is a continuation of 5G and will contribute to faster development of artificial intelligence.
Could the same plan be used in Europe without roaming?
Asked whether it is realistic for Serbian citizens to use phone services across Europe without roaming in 2027, Lucic answered that he thinks it is. The condition is a legal decision following a move by the European Commission:
“After that European Commission decision, each of the countries was supposed to get some kind of agreement, and I think we got that. After that it has to be defined by law, because it has to be an order for all operators. It has to be implemented in law.”
Lucic added that Telekom Srbija is ready for that step.
What did he say about the Kosovo entry ban?
In the same statement, Lucic confirmed that he is still banned from entering Kosovo and Metohija, under a decision by the Pristina institutions from August. He called the decision unlawful:
“That decision is completely unlawful on eight legal grounds.”
He has filed an appeal and has also started a court case. On the appeal he said: “I appealed, and interestingly, there is an institution I had to wait around 30 days to appeal to.” According to him, that institution declared itself not competent. The proceedings have lasted about two months, and Lucic estimates the court case will take from six to 12 months. He also claims that Pristina discriminates against Telekom Srbija because it is a Serbian company, and against him because he is a Serb.
