International telecom network permits required to protect national security

The government has accepted a draft of an amendment to the Telecommunication Law requiring permits for international telecom network usage in order to protect national security. The requirement will apply to all users, no matter what type of service they provide. The government wants to set a transition period of three months for companies already possessing such features. Within that period companies will have to apply for permits from the Telecommunication Regulation Office. According to the Telecommunications Minister Tomasz Szyszko, Pol-Gaz Telekom, the company managing the Yamal pipeline’s fiber-optic cable, has already applied and is now waiting for the Office’s decision. The permit requirement will be in force at least until Poland’s entry into the European Union. (Rzeczpospolita, p.B1) M.K.