Agency for electronic communications

What Agency for electronic communications does

The Agency for Electronic Communications (Агенција за електронски комуникации, AEK) is the national regulatory authority for electronic communications in North Macedonia, headquartered at Ul. Dimitar Vlakhov No.21 in Skopje and operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Information Society and Administration. Founded circa 2015 and governed by a Commission chaired by Prof. Dr. Orce Simov with Dr. Admirim Aliti as a Commission Member, AEK holds exclusive statutory jurisdiction over spectrum allocation, operator licensing, market analysis, price regulation, consumer protection, and number portability for the country's electronic communications sector.

AEK operates a portfolio of digital regulatory platforms including the AEK nettest speed measurement tool (web and desktop), the E-Agenzija administrative portal, the Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (TTO) registry, the Fixed Network Interruption Registry, the RF Spectrum Management Portal, the MKD-CIRT national cybersecurity incident response capability, and the Komuniciraj.mk consumer information portal. The agency applies BU LRIC and WACC methodologies for wholesale and retail price regulation across leased lines, bitstream, fixed, and mobile networks, and publishes quarterly and annual market analysis reports. It maintains ISO 9001:2015 certification, has roughly 60 staff, and engages internationally through ITU, WSIS, and the Western Balkans Regulatory Authorities Network.

As a government state entity, AEK does not generate commercial revenue; its funding is derived from radio frequency spectrum usage fees and regulatory fees paid by licensed telecommunications operators under national legislation. Its go-to-market model is institutional rather than commercial — formal licensing, public consultations, regulatory decisions, and an annual International Regulatory Conference — and its customer base consists of all licensed electronic communications operators in North Macedonia and the general public as end beneficiaries of consumer protection services.

Name

Agency for electronic communications

Legal name

Агенција за електронски комуникации (Agency for Electronic Communications)

Website

https://aec.mk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Agency for Electronic Communications (AEK) is North Macedonia's national regulatory authority for electronic communications, overseeing spectrum allocation, operator licensing, price regulation, consumer protection, and cybersecurity incident response (MKD-CIRT) for all licensed telecom operators and citizens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Skopje

HQ country

North Macedonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Agency for Electronic Communications (AEK) is the national regulatory authority for electronic communications in North Macedonia, responsible for RF spectrum allocation and management, licensing of telecommunications operators, market analysis and price regulation (retail and wholesale), number portability administration, consumer protection, and national cybersecurity through the MKD-CIRT team. It also operates digital self-service systems including the E-Agency portal, equipment and network interruption registries, broadband speed measurement tools, and the Komuniciraj.mk consumer portal.

Product overview

Agency for electronic communications (AEK) is a regulatory body that provides a portfolio of interconnected digital services and regulatory tools for electronic communications in North Macedonia. The core offerings include internet speed measurement tools (web and desktop applications via AEK nettest), RF spectrum management, number portability, market analysis with price regulation services, and consumer protection through the Komuniciraj.mk portal. Additional services include various registries (telecommunications terminal equipment, fixed network interruptions), MKD-CIRT cybersecurity services, and the E-Agency portal for electronic administrative services. The agency organizes international regulatory conferences and manages public consultations on regulatory matters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RF Spectrum Management Portal Regulatory portal for managing radio frequency spectrum in North Macedonia, including spectrum approvals, coordination agreements, control and monitoring, and equipment registration, used by licensed telecommunications operators and broadcasters.
• Number Portability Service National service enabling consumers to keep their phone numbers when switching telecommunications providers, administered by AEK to promote competition among operators.
• Market Analysis Portal Portal providing market analysis, retail and wholesale price regulation, relevant market reviews, and market data for the electronic communications sector in North Macedonia.
• Price Regulation Services Regulatory services for retail and wholesale price regulation in electronic communications, applying BU LRIC methodologies for leased lines, bitstream, fixed and mobile networks, plus WACC-based price regulation.
• AEK nettest (Broadband Speed Measurement) Web-based tool that measures internet connection speed and quality, allowing consumers to test broadband performance provided by their operator.
• Internet Speed Measurement (Desktop Application) Desktop application version of AEK's broadband speed measurement tool, enabling consumers to test their internet connection quality from a desktop device.
• Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Registry Online registry used to track and register telecommunications terminal equipment placed on the North Macedonian market.
• Fixed Network Interruption Registry System for monitoring and recording service interruptions in fixed telecommunications networks in North Macedonia.
• MKD-CIRT (National Computer Incident Response Team) National center for responding to computer incidents, providing cybersecurity protection for critical infrastructure and institutional solutions within AEK's jurisdiction.
• E-Agency Portal Electronic portal for online administrative services related to electronic communications, used by operators and other stakeholders to file with AEK.
• Komuniciraj.mk Consumer Portal Consumer-facing portal providing information about telecommunications services, quality-of-service reports, and subscriber contracts in North Macedonia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coverage of all electronic communications operators through mandatory licensing and compliance frameworks
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ITU (International Telecommunication Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEK participates in ITU activities including WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) and AI for Good Global Summit. The agency engages with ITU Office representatives on digital regulation matters and follows ITU frameworks for spectrum management and cybersecurity standards.
• RATEL (Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services, Serbia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInter-agency cooperation between AEK and RATEL. Representatives of RATEL visited AEK on invitation from the AEK Commission President Prof. Orce Simov to discuss regulatory cooperation and shared experiences in telecommunications regulation.
• Western Balkans Regulatory Authorities NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cooperation framework for electronic communications regulators in the Western Balkans. AEK participates in roaming regulation coordination, cross-border spectrum issues, and harmonization of regulatory approaches across the region.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ofcom (UK): UK's converged communications regulator. A global benchmark for telecom regulation including spectrum, consumer protection, and market analysis — comparable functional scope to AEK but at vastly greater scale.
• ARCEP (Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications, France): French telecom regulator and a leading EU regulator. Represents the mature, fully-developed version of AEK's mandate at scale — illustrating the trajectory AEK could follow as it harmonizes with EU frameworks.

Regional players

• ANCOM (National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications, Romania): Romania's national telecom regulator. Larger Eastern European peer operating under EU regulatory frameworks, useful as a comparison point for how AEK's mandate may evolve post-EU accession.

Direct peers

• RATEL (Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services, Serbia): Serbia's national telecom regulator. Explicitly named as a strategic partner of AEK with documented inter-agency cooperation. Directly comparable in mandate, size (small Western Balkan country regulator), and regulatory approach — making it the closest peer.
• EKIP (Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services, Montenegro): Montenegro's national telecom regulator. Part of the same Western Balkans regulatory network as AEK, with comparable mandate over electronic communications, spectrum management, and consumer protection in a similarly sized small market.
• AKOS (Agency for Communication Networks and Services, Slovenia): Slovenia's national telecom regulator. Comparable in mandate and EU candidate/member context — a small-country regulator in the Western Balkans/Central Europe region navigating EU regulatory harmonization.
• RAK (Regulatory Authority for Communications, Bosnia and Herzegovina): Bosnia's national telecom regulator. Western Balkans peer with the same mandate over electronic communications, spectrum allocation, and consumer protection. Part of the same regional regulatory coordination framework as AEK.

Others

• Cullen International: Independent research provider specializing in European telecom and digital economy regulation. Explicitly named as a partner whose reports AEK publishes — an ecosystem enabler rather than a competing peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aecmk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/aecmkd/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/aecmk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agency-for-electronic-communications

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Agency for electronic communications