Telecom Min. grants Netia nationwide fixed-line license

The Telecommunications Ministry has granted a license to telephone company Netia 1 Sp. z o.o. to operate a fixed-line phone service nationwide. The company, of which Netia Holdings S.A. is one of the largest shareholders, would be entitled to the SS7 [a system required for implementing a digital network] for inter-city phone services using the point-to-point telecommunication connections. Netia 1 hopes to raise money for investments from the upcoming share issue of which 2.5 million would be sold to Telia of Sweden. As of today, Netia had a license to operate in 23% of Poland and has pledged to build infrastructure that would gain it about 1 million subscribers by the end of the year. (Rzeczpospolita, May 27-28, page B2) S.M.