Serbia’s new infrastructure-sharing rules for telecommunications entered into force on Sept. 8, creating a legal framework for operators to access existing infrastructure owned by utilities, transport companies and public bodies. The law, allows access to ducts, poles and other suitable infrastructure under transparent and non-discriminatory conditions. It also establishes mechanisms for coordinating civil works and addressing disputes over infrastructure access. The framework brings Serbia closer to the European Union’s Gigabit Infrastructure Act and targets a major cost factor in telecom network investment.
Infrastructure sharing targets rollout costs
Civil engineering works, including trenching and duct construction, can represent a substantial portion of fibre deployment costs. Using existing electricity, transport and municipal infrastructure could reduce duplicate construction and improve the economics of extending high-capacity networks. The measure is particularly relevant for network expansion outside major cities, where the cost of building new physical infrastructure can weigh more heavily on investment decisions. The reform could also support investment in data centres, advanced manufacturing, energy digitalisation and automation, sectors that increasingly depend on reliable, high-capacity communications infrastructure.
Implementation framework includes new deadlines
The effectiveness of the new access regime will depend on its implementation. Serbia is required to establish a single digital information point within 18 months, while secondary regulations must be adopted within 12 months. Around €1 million has been allocated for the initial implementation of the framework. Telecom operators will need accurate information about infrastructure locations, ownership and available capacity before the new access rights can translate into lower deployment costs.
Access conditions could shape market impact
Pricing and technical suitability may become areas of dispute, particularly when infrastructure owners have limited spare capacity or request compensation that reduces the economic benefit of infrastructure sharing. The framework could lower entry barriers for smaller telecom operators that cannot justify constructing duplicate physical networks, potentially supporting greater competition in business connectivity and fibre services.
At the same time, electricity, railway and municipal infrastructure owners could gain additional revenue opportunities by making existing assets available for telecommunications networks. The central implementation challenge will be establishing predictable access procedures and usable infrastructure data. Successful implementation would allow operators to deploy fibre and next-generation networks faster and with lower capital expenditure, extending the effects of the reform into Serbia’s wider digital and industrial investment cycle.
