Industry
Energy in Albania
Electricity almost entirely from hydropower — which makes supply depend on rainfall.
- Mobile networks
- One Albania, Vodafone Albania
- SIM registration
- Passport required
- Roaming
- EU rules do not apply; a Western Balkans arrangement does — check your tariff
- Electricity
- OSHEE; generation is overwhelmingly hydro
In plain language
Internet in Albanian cities is fast and cheap. There are two main mobile companies. Electricity and water are mostly reliable in Tirana and less so elsewhere.
Simple explanation
Internet in Albanian cities is fast and cheap. There are two main mobile companies. Electricity and water are mostly reliable in Tirana and less so elsewhere.
On this page
Mobile
The two main networks are One Albania (formerly AMC, merged with Albtelecom in 2023) and Vodafone Albania. Prepaid SIMs are cheap and sold widely; registration with a passport is required. Coverage is good along the coast and the main corridors and patchy in the high mountains — expect no signal in parts of the Theth and Valbonë valleys.
Albania is not in the EU, so EU roam-like-at-home rules do not apply. However, a regional 'Roam Like At Home' arrangement covers the Western Balkans, and several EU operators have added Albania to their inclusive zones — check your own tariff.
Fixed internet
Fibre is widely available in Tirana, Durrës and the larger towns, and monthly costs are low by European standards. Rural coverage is more variable.
Electricity and water
Electricity is supplied by OSHEE. Supply is generally stable in Tirana; interruptions are more common in rural areas and during summer peaks on the coast. Almost all generation is hydroelectric, so a dry year affects the whole system.
Water supply is intermittent in parts of the coast in summer, where construction has outpaced network capacity. Many buildings have roof tanks for this reason — ask before renting.
Connected subjects
Related subjects
Company · Tiranë
One Albania
Albania's first mobile operator, formerly AMC and then Telekom Albania, now merged with Albtelecom.
Guide
Albania for Remote Workers
A one-year permit route since 2022, cheap rent, fast urban internet, and a small but real community in Tirana.
Sources
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