The story
1994–2006: 063 Mobtel Srbija
Originally launched in 1994 as Mobtel Srbija ("Mobtel Serbia"; full name: Mobilne telekomunikacije Srbija, "Mobile telecommunications Serbia"), the company's operation was a joint venture founded in 1994 between Moscow-based BK Trade (owned by Bogoljub Karić) and government-owned PTT.
The first NMT network was announced in December 1995. The signal covered major urban areas and highway routes – 60% of Serbia's inhabited territory and 12% of Serbia's land area (Serbia was then a constituent republic within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). This service is not commercial anymore. The MSISDN Network Code was 061 (international: +381 61); this code is now appointed to A1 Srbija. The GSM network has been in use since 1996.
In 2005, BK Trade sold its shares to a consortium of Austrian investors (through Holdenhurst Holding headed by Martin Schlaff) and the company was renamed Mobi 63.
2006–2021: Telenor Serbia
In 2006, a majority stake in Mobi 63 was sold (70% owned by the Government of Serbia) to the Norwegian Telenor for a sum of 1.513 billion euros. The condition for the acquisition of the remaining 30% of shares, was a bid higher than 1.1 billion euros. The Norwegian company outbid such industry heavyweights as TeliaSonera, France Télécom, Deutsche Telekom, Mobilkom Austria, Orascom Telecom and Tele2. On 31 August 2006, Mobi 63 officially became the property of Telenor and changed its name to Telenor d.o.o.
In January 2010, Telenor Serbia acquired a landline operating licence ending the monopoly held by Telekom Srbija.
On 26 April 2013, Telenor Serbia bought 100% of shares of the Serbian "KBC bank", establishing Telenor banka. With that transaction, 81,000 clients of the former bank were taken by Société Générale Srbija. Since 10 September 2014, Telenor banka operates on the Serbian banking market. In August 2017, Bulgarian investment fund River Styxx Capital has reached an agreement with Serbia's Telenor Banka to acquire 85 percent of its shares, while Telenor will maintain the remaining 15 percent.
2018–present: PPF takeover and rebranding as Yettel
In January 2018, the company's management confirmed media reports that there is interest in sale of Telenor's business in Southeast Europe, including Telenor Serbia. In March 2018, Telenor sold its business in Southeast Europe (Bulgaria, Hungary, Montenegro and Serbia) to the investment fund PPF, for a sum of 2.8 billion euros. As part of the deal, company continued using the brand "Telenor" until early 2022, when the rebranding was announced — since March of that year, the company would take a new name, "Yettel".
On 1 April 2026, Serbia Broadband (SBB), a year after being acquired by PPF (parent company of Yettel Serbia), was merged into Yettel Serbia, with the current Yettel entity becoming its legal successor; SBB as a brand continued to exist.
From Wikipedia’s article on Yettel Serbia, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4