K. Albanians disable phone networks in Serb areas

Source: B92, Tanjug

PRIŠTINA -- The Kosovo Albanian authorities in Priština removed the equipment of all Belgrade-based mobile and landline operators this morning. This happened in central Kosovo, reports said. Eyewitnesses, who secured the premises, said that “special police” broke into Telekom, Telenor and VIP structures to help cut off cables and take down equipment, at around 05:00 CET. Eyewitnesses said that workers of a "telecommunications regulatory body" from Priština removed transmitters and randomly severed cables. As a consequence, 40,000 Serbs are either left without mobile service in that part of the province, or have very poor reception. In all, some 80,000 people have their phones cut off, reports said. Telekom Srbija said they would issue a statement once they have learned about what exactly happened and who was responsible for what they called an act of vandalism. Telekom workers are currently working to enable landline telephony in the villages surrounding the Serb enclave of Gračanica. The enclave's small base transmitter has not been destroyed, so the 064 network has weak reception there. Meanwhile, a body dubbed the Kosovo Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said this Friday that it had taken action to "put an end to the illegal operation of unlicensed and unauthorized providers" that have “built networks in Kosovo”, Tanjug reports. http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2010&mm=04&dd=23&nav_id=66665