eTel may reopen IP talks under regional investment plan

Irish telecoms and Internet services company eTel may restart negotiations with telecoms company GTS about purchasing Internet Partners (IP), one of Poland's largest Internet Service Provider (ISP) companies. GTS earlier abandoned the talks, citing the falling value of its assets amid the current telecoms market crisis. However, Michal Kostrzewa, eTel's development director in Poland, confirmed that the talks with GTS may be reopened. "eTel is still interested in the purchase of ISP companies in Poland," he told Puls Biznesu. eTel has recently announced that it plans to invest between euro 40 million and euro 50 million over the next two or three years in the Internet infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe, having already invested approximately $50 million in infrastructure development and takeovers in the region. According to Kostrzewa, it is difficult to estimate how much of the new investment will be spent in Poland. (Puls Biznesu, p. 5) M.T.K.