Deutsche Telekom, Elektrim and PTC: still an enigma

Commenting only that Deutsche Telecom (DT) considers the Polish market very interesting, DT president Ron Sommer refused to discuss rumors that its plans to pay $180 million for stakes in 6 Elektrim group companies, as well as in Poland’s biggest mobile phone operator, Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa (PTC). Sommer acknowledged merely that DT is interested in spreading its operations in Eastern Europe, mainly in telephone and mobile phone networks, data transmission and software business markets. Another DT official, however, said that negotiations for expanding its stake in PTC, in which it already has 49% (while Vivendi and Elektrim Telekomunikacja hold 51%), have already begun. DT, along with France Telecom one of two major western investors in Eastern Europe telecom markets, has already spent $8.5 billion in the region, mainly in the last two years. Its recent big investments include stakes in Czech Prago-Net for DM 50 million, Slovak Telekom for $1 billion, and Hungarian MATAV for $2.2 billion. (Prawo i Gospodarka, p.11) M.K.