PTC demands money back from Treasury in dispute over license fees

Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa (PTC), the country's largest mobile phone operator, has joined the group of telecoms companies which are demanding from the State Treasury the return of part of the money they spent on telecommunications licenses in 2001. Under a decision by the Telecommunications Regulatory Office (URT), two of PTC's competitors, Polkomtel and PTK Centertel, paid just euro 2,500 for the extension of their 1800 MHz frequency band across the whole of Poland, whereas in 1999 PTC had to pay as much as euro 100 million. PTC representatives say that companies should have equal opportunities, and therefore it wants part of the money back. Similar demands have been made by other large local and long-distance phone operators. They want the Treasury to write off unpaid installments of their license fees, since liberalization of the regulations means that new operators currently entering the market pay relatively small amounts for a license. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B2) A.Z.