Launch of the 3G mobile phone system postponed to 2005

The Office of Telecommunications and Post Regulation (URTiP), responding to requests from operators, has delayed the introduction of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) service in Poland by one year to 2005. As a result mobile phone companies will have more time to meet stated obligations, namely ensuring the system covers 20% of the country by the end of 2005 and 70% by the end of 2007. What is presumably even more important, Centertel, PTC and Polkomtel will be able to avoid the mistakes made by their European counterparts who will launch these systems earlier. Finally, thanks to additional time to find financial backers, the operators might be able to offer lower prices for the new services. (Puls Biznesu, p. 9) M.K.