[Info-tech] INTERVIEW-Albanian phone firm plans Web backbone (fwd)

[Mentor Cana]

INTERVIEW-Albanian phone firm plans Web backbone

By Benet Koleka

  
TIRANA, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Albania's fixed-line telephone monopoly Albtelecom said on Friday it planned to build a backbone for Internet providers in five major cities and launch a voice, data and image network in the capital Tirana in 2000. 

Petri Deti, Albtelecom's deputy general manager, said 60 percent of this year's total investment of 2.88 billion lek ($20.5 million), drawn from 1999 net profit of 3.4 billion, would be spent on expanding its cable network. 

``We will be backbone operators for Internet providers,'' Deti told Reuters in an interview. ``This is being implemented and will cost half a million dollars.'' 

The backbone will cover Tirana, Durres, Fier, Vlore and Korce. State-owned Albtelekom will create points of presence to offer access to some 12 Internet service providers (ISPs) who are already operating in Tirana. 

``We will build a network with a broad capacity and offer it to those who are using satellite connections now, offering it to them as their first choice or as an alternative,'' Deti said. 

Use of the Worldwide Web in one of Europe's poorest countries, where just 4,000 people are hooked up via expensive and unreliable connections, should become more affordable and easier as a result. Albania has a population of 3.3 million. 

``We are very optimistic for the new service because we will offer cheaper prices and a more secure service,'' Deti said. 

Albania Online charges $240 for an annual subscription, plus $36 for an e-mail account. 

Three, six and nine-month subscriptions are also available for $26 a month, still a prohibitive amount for a country where the average monthly wage in the public sector is $80. 

Albtelecom also plans to install 1,000 lines carrying voice, data and images or Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) lines, among the 33,500 lines to be laid in Tirana this year. 

A microwave link with 240 channels would be installed to connect Tirana and Pristina, the capital of the Yugoslav province of Kosovo, he added. 

``Pristina is very interested in being linked to Albania so that it can gain (telephone) access to the world. They see this as the preferred way,'' Deti said. 

The link has to be approved by the United Nations administration in Kosovo, which is mainly inhabited by ethnic Albanians. The U.N. has been governing the province since last year when NATO-led troops took it under their control. 

Albtelecom, slated for privatisation this year by the Socialist-led coalition of Prime Minister Ilir Meta, has been changed into a joint-stock company and has had its books audited by accountants Deloitte & Touche in preparation for its sale.