The universal service, as defined in Article 60 of the Law on Electrronic Communications („Official Gazette of RS“, No. 35/23) comprises:

1) an appropriate broadband access to the Internet and access to voice communication service at reasonable prices, at a fixed location;

2) free-of-charge calls to emergency response services;

3) the special measures that ensure that disabled persons and socially disadvantaged consumers have equal opportunities to access universal service.

The universal service shall be provided on a technologically neutral basis, with sufficient throughput and quality, at affordable prices and in such a manner that financially disadvantaged and disabled persons are not prevented from using the aforementioned services.

A consumer shall not be obliged to pay for additional universal services, which are not needed or not required.

The Rulebook on universal service in electronic communications, among other things, prescribes a minimum set of services that an appropriate broadband Internet access should provide, as well as the flow rate necessary to enable the minimum set of services.

Rulebook on universal service in electronic communications

The minimum set of services that should be provided by an appropriate broadband Internet access are:

·       electronic mail,

·       search engines enabling online search and finding of all types of information,

·       basic Internet tools for training and education,

·       information or news available on the Internet,

·       job searching tools,

·       professional network service,

·       online banking service,

·       e-government service,

·       social networks,

·       instant messaging, and

·       audio and video calls.

Broadband Internet access represents the data flow required to enable a minimum set of services, which in the incoming direction is not less than 10 Mb/s and in the outgoing direction is not less than 1 Mb/s.