What does it mean to shutdown MTS.doo?
MTS.doo a subsidiary of the Telekom Srbija company was ordered to shutdown in Kosovo apparently because it had “unconstitutional” wording on its registration.
MTS.doo provides mobile phone and cable television services for the Serbian speaking communities in Kosovo (this would include Roma, Gorani and Bosniaks).
In 2013 as a result of the Brussels agreement MTS began working in the Serbian majority areas to provide telephony and communication services. In return Kosovo was given the +383 prefix rather than have to use the Monaco prefix it had been using after the war.
But now that Kosovo is closing MTS, it virtually cuts off phone and media to thousands of minorities.
Kosovo does have the Serbian language broadcasts through the national channel RTK. It also offers a Roma broadcast.
There are also local private Serbian broadcasters like RTV Čaglavica and portals like Kosovo Online and Kossev. Some Croatian channels and regional channels like Arena Sports are carried on Kosovo carriers catering to Albanian speakers like Art Motion (a part of Klan Kosova that had also been threatened with a shutdown; but a court ordered stay has put a hold on that for now) and IPKO.
Serb speaking minorities would also have to switch their phones to Kosovo carriers.
What the Kosovo government appears to be doing is trying to push out any economic influence that Serbia has in Kosovo. The blockade against Serbian products continues cutting off minority communities from the products they prefer as well as medical supplies.
Now with no television and phone coverage this further cuts them off from Serbia both socially and economically.
There is also a push to stop Roma from attending Serbian language schools even though this is perfectly legal but many Roma have long cultural and social ties with the Serbian community. One Roma activist told me this week, “This isn’t integration its assimilation.”
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