Serbia To Call Tender for Second Fixed-line Operator Around Nov 20 - Media

The tender will be completed around January 12, b92 (www.b92.net) quoted Telecommunications Minister Jasna Matic as saying.

The government in Belgrade plans to shortlist the top two bidders who will then face off in an auction, b92 quoted the official as saying.

The process of licensing a second domestic provider of fixed-line voice services may be delayed due to the financial crisis, Matic said recently.

Earlier, local media tipped Norway's Telenor, which has a wireless business in Serbia, and local cable and Internet operator Serbia Broadband as the top contenders for the second fixed-line permit while Deutsche Telekom, which also has mobile operations in Serbia, is expected to skip the tender as it is eyeing state-owned Telekom Srbija, b92 also said on Tuesday.

Telekom Srbija is the sole provider of fixed-line services in the country of some 9.0 million people. It also controls some 70% of the domestic wireless services market through its unit MTS.

($=0.6808 euro)