Users of radio frequency spectrum in Serbia, from now on, can apply for the issuance of radio frequency usage license electronically, in a fast and simple manner, at a time of their convenience. In this way, the procedure of license issuance is made faster by 50 percent, while the need to print documents is considerably decreased. Thanks to an agreement signed today by the Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services (RATEL) and the Office for Information Technologies and E-Government of the Republic of Serbia, electronic payments and payment tracking regarding this service have also been made available.

The new online service is available on RATEL’s Internet portal (www.ratel.rs) under the name „Individual licenses for usage of radio frequencies“. The service includes online request application, submittal of technical documentation, payment of license fee and download of licenses for the usage of radio frequencies, in electronic form. The former license issuance application procedure required a large number of documents to be provided in hard copy, which then needed to be scanned and manually entered in RATEL’s database, followed by non-automated payment of legally prescribed fees. RATEL issues around 9,000 individual licenses for radio frequency usage on an annual basis, which has so far resulted in more than 48,000 sheets of paper printed out annually.

„By using this service, applicants will be able to submit their data in a faster and safer manner, which will speed up the decision-making and issuance process regarding the usage of selected radio frequency bands. This service is available to registered users only (those authenticated by a qualified digital certificate). Each step in the electronic application and license issuance procedure is signed digitally, which guarantees non-repudiation and authenticity of documents“, said dr Vladica Tintor, director of RATEL.

„In cooperation with the Office for Information Technologies and E-Government of the Republic of Serbia, ePayment service has been integrated in the license issuance procedure. ePayment enables payment and tracking of all transactions and exempts applicants from providing the fee payment receipt“, said associate prof. dr Mihailo Jovanović, director of the Office.

„The Government of the Republic of Serbia has made a new step forward in the area of state administration digitalization. One of this Government’s main tasks is the creation of a modern, efficient and simple e-government, as a prerequisite to the establishment of a transparent and economic public administration. Citizens and economy of the Republic of Serbia must be in the center of the attention of the public administration, which must provide them with simple and accessible service. That is why we are here today – to demonstrate, along with RATEL, a new service for the economy of Serbia, regarding request application, payment of fees, request handling, decision-making and issuance of licenses for the usage of radio frequency bands. The Office for Information Technologies and E-Government of the Republic of Serbia has integrated the ePayment service into the license issuance procedure, thus enabling payments and single-valued tracking of all transactions, including the exemption of applicants from the additional provision of the fee payment receipts in the process of license issuance“, said associate prof. dr Mihailo Jovanović, director of the Office.

He also added that the new ePayment features will improve and amend RATEL’s service, since different electronic payment models via e-banking, credit cards and other means of cashless payment will be available soon.