Entry of new mobile operator delayed due to UKE indecision

"It should be expected in the middle of the year," said Anna Streżyńska, deputy transport and construction sector minister and acting president of the Electronic Communication Office (UKE). This is bad news for all those using mobile phones. "Internal roaming will facilitate the introduction of competition to the mobile phone market. It is known that competition will result in falling prices," said Streżyńska. The delay is due to the necessity of proving that mobile phone operators have a dominant position, which is a time consuming activity as poor evidence might be easily overthrown and appealed against to the European Commission. "I assume that operators will block this process. If indeed stipulations of the licences envisage that no other player can enter the market, they will appeal any such decision," said Michał Marczak from DI BRE Bank. Both P4 and Tele2 are planning to enter the market on a purely commercial basis without a decision concerning internal roaming. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1, 4) M.M.