Internet for All in Serbian Cities

Internet for all in Serbian cities

Telenor is bringing freedom to citizens and visitors of Serbian cities, who are able to relish the summer outdoors, surf the Internet and discover local treasures - on their smart devices.

Internet Parks project is one of the most recognized Telenor projects in Serbia, and an example of how we can support communities providing what we do best – high quality telecommunication services. “Internet is one of the key factors of development of any society, and our vision is to make it accessible to all. Unlimited fast Internet in green city oases where visitors enjoy the outdoors and at the same time remain connected to people and information they care for, are the very image of that vision. Also, this innovative concept enables cities of Serbia to keep pace with the world metropolises“, says Sandra Štajner, CCHRO.

Seven years of Internet parks: from vision to tradition

For seven years already Telenor has been transforming the known city parks into Telenor Internet parks, facilitating the development of IT literacy and Internet accessibility for the citizens in Serbia. The first Internet Park was opened in 2008 in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, when almost 60 per cent of the population had never used Internet and only 15,5 per cent of households had a broadband Internet connection. At that time, introducing free broadband Wi-Fi in the city parks seamed visionary, but it is exactly this visionary approach and consistency that made Telenor stand out as a company committed to building a digital future for all. Today, more than 80% of population in Serbia use Internet, but Internet Parks remains one of the most recognized projects of Telenor in Serbia and a significant contributor to the company’s strong reputation. During the summer months, city parks in Belgrade, capital of Serbia, are one of the favourite gathering points of citizens of all ages and tourists. At ten Internet parks visitors can connect their phones and other smart devices at any time to the open Wi-Fi network and check their e-mail, exchange photos, listen to music and browse the Internet for information and entertainment, on the go.

Bringing internet to underserved regions

Despite technological progress, there are less developed regions in Serbia which significantly lag behind the capital with respect to Internet use. Telenor remains dedicated to these regions, aiming to bring Internet to their citizens as well, and offer local communities additional support in the improvement of local economy and education. In the beginning of July, two more cities in the south of Serbia got Internet parks, whereby the number of towns where Telenor Internet is provided grew to eight.

Enriching digital world with local content

It has now become simple to get information about the Serbian capital on mobile phones, thanks to Telenor and long term projects of digitalizing and promoting various cultural and eco-tourism programs. While in parks, people can, for example, download the application The Blue-Green Map for free and use it as a digital tourist guide. It presents users with green pearls of the city: natural

Telenor Group is one of the world's major mobile operators. We keep our customers connected in our markets across Scandinavia and Asia. Our more than 30,000 employees are committed to responsible business conduct and being our customers' favourite partner in digital life. Connecting the world has been Telenor's domain for more than 160 years, and we are driven by a singular vision: to empower societies. monuments, spatial entities, protected locations and Telenor Internet parks. Also, they can become familiar with everyday life and rich history of the city by using The sound map of Belgrade. The application offers digitalized sound map of authentic stories from city districts, facts and experiences recounted by the people who live or work here. It aims to create the connection between new digital generations and population that wishes to preserve city stories from oblivion, with the help of mobile phones and Internet. “If we want to lead our society on its way of transformation to a truly digital one, providing Internet access is necessary, but it is also only the first step on the way. At Telenor Serbia we took a step forward with the effort to enrich the digital world with a content that is relevant for our community”, concludes Sandra.