Netia withdraws from "unattractive" UMTS tender

Netia Holding S.A. is withdrawing from the tender for UMTS licenses, considering it unattractive. Netia says the tender documentation does not provide exhaustive regulations concerning internal roaming and interconnections. Moreover, the telecom operator has serious reservations about the euro 650 million price and the large number of current licenses (five). Netia already has two telecom licenses allowing it to serve Warsaw and long-distance calls. Yet it is unable to use them since it has not agreed with Telekomunikacja Polska S.A. (TP S.A.) on the rate of mutual settlements. As for its long-distance operating license, the company has been waiting for the Telecom Ministry's ruling about the rate of mutual settlements for over a month. Ministry representatives say they are not surprised at Netia's decision. Netia's biggest shareholder Telia is facing internal problems connected with a change of the company's chairman which could result in further adjustment of the firm's strategy. Deadline for submission of bids is Nov. 10. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B1)