The CEO of Telekom Srbija, Vladimir Lučić, said today that the company’s entrepreneurial fund for financing startups has signed a contract with the tenth startup, which develops software based on artificial intelligence.
Lučić stated that the main function of this, the tenth in a row, startup will be the protection of intellectual rights.
“Since the problem of intellectual rights on the Internet is becoming more and more important and it is more and more difficult to protect it. This startup has clients from America and Europe. I must say that some of the startups in which we have invested so far generate millions of revenues annually and sell services on five continents, so that we chose in a good way,” Lucic told TV Prva.
New investment cycle
Lučić also stated that in addition to the 161 villages in Serbia that received high-speed optical internet, 143 more will receive this benefit.
He said that this is a project that is being done with the support of the Government of Serbia, with the support of the European Union and that it covers the most remote places with optical internet, which is why, as Lučić said, the residents of these places have the same quality of internet as those from the city center.
“This is very important for future digitization, for the ability of those people to use all services via the Internet and the possibility to earn extra money. In general, the plan is that by the end of 2025, every household in Serbia will have high-speed optical Internet. So far, we have invested over 500 million euros in the optical network and over 1,400,000 households now have optical internet,” Lučić said.
He added that as part of the new investment cycle, over the next two years, another 300,000 households will receive high-speed optical internet.
Lučić added that this could contribute to young people staying in the countryside.
“The new generations, who are called digital nomads, don’t care where they live, as long as the air is clean there,” he said.
The director of Telekom pointed out that the digital future will be a key topic at the Kopaonik Business Forum, which will be held from March 3 to 6.
“How can companies adapt to the new digital future, since it is called the fourth industrial revolution. So there will be a radical industrial change, and telecommunications companies are one of those that should be the forerunners of development,” said Lučić.
Telekom – the winner of the commercial battle
He also referred to the negative comments sent to Telekom from the market competition, and said that they were caused by the success of Telekom Serbia.
“The financial results in 2023 were never better, and in 2024 they will be even better. We will have an income of around two billion euros, and the operating profit will approach billions. We have thus increased it several times compared to the period when we started, which is the biggest sign of success for us,” he said and added that competing companies present false information about Telekom’s operations every day.
Lučić pointed out that one of those lies is that the Post Office reduced the rent by 50 percent.
“Which is not true, nor has the Post reduced the rent, nor do we owe anything to the Post. We have even expanded our cooperation with the Post, and in the last two years our issuance to the Post has increased by 40 percent compared to previous years. But we are used to being marketed that way some half-information in the desire to discredit us, but in the end the result shows,” he said and added that Telekom will ultimately be the winner of the commercial battle.
