NGKT looking for UTMS partner
By : Roseanne Gerin
Telecom consortium National Grid Koleje Telekomunikacja (NGKT) is looking to pair up with another player to place a bid for the fifth third-generation mobile license the government will sell later this year, NGKT said last week. The company also denied reports that it would surrender its license for domestic long-distance service.
Steven Marshall, president and chief executive officer of NGKT, said the consortium was trying to settle some regulatory issues with the Communications Ministry before collecting its license to offer domestic long-distance (DLD) service. Meanwhile, the company was not contemplating giving up the permit, he said.
"It's not an option, and we have not considered it at all, but we have not collected our (domestic long-distance) voice license," Marshall said. His statements contradict a previous news report that quoted him as saying there was no point in paying for and collecting the permit in light of telecom regulatory obstacles.
While the license lies in limbo, Marshall could not say when the matter would be resolved.
"Some weeks ago we notified the ministry that we would not collect our voice license until we fully understood the regulatory regime," he said, adding that NGKT requested an extension to pick up the license. Although the consortium had not received a response, Marshall said he expected further discussions with the ministry.
NGKT's interconnection discussions with the national monopolist Telekomunikacja Polska (TPSA) are the reason for the company's failure to collect its license. NGKT must obtain a written agreement from TPSA to transmit intercity calls in Poland via the national incumbent's telephone infrastructure. Like other operators in Poland, NGKT would have to pay TPSA fees for running calls through its dominant fixed-line network.
NGKT held initial discussions with TPSA regarding an interconnection arrangement, but no conclusions were drawn, Marshall said. TPSA is not obliged to give NGKT an interconnection contract as long as the consortium does not have its license in hand, he added.
"The two issues at the crux of the disagreement with TPSA are the building arrangements and the rates for interconnection," said Marzena Rogalska, NGKT's spokeswoman. She added that NGKT would issue a statement about the matter in the next two to three weeks.
The NGKT consortium includes Polish State Railways (PKP), British telecom companies National Grid and Energis, and Polish Telecom Operators (PTO). NGKT was one of the three independent operators to win the DLD license tender in January.
Despite the delay with its DLD plans, Marshall said NGKT was contemplating a bid for a third-generation Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) license. So far, NGKT's discussions about a possible joint bid with its consortium partner PKP were general and had not been given much consideration, he said.
"NGKT will consider whether it makes sense to become involved in the UMTS license (tender)," Marshall said.
The government plans to accept bids for five UMTS licenses from Oct. 5-Dec. 7 and to select winners before the end of the year. The four confirmed companies that will participate in the tender are mobile operators PTK Centertel, Polkomtel and Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa and fixed-line operator Netia.
