TPSA still holds upper hand in new agreement with NOM

Long-distance telecom operator NOM and Telekomunikacja Polska S.A. (TPSA) are likely sign an agreement next week, allowing NOM to finally receive payment for the services it has been providing for the past 9 months, but at the same time making it more difficult to provide services in the future. Until now, TPSA subscribers were able to choose NOM as its long-distance operator, but the issue of who would bill them for the services provided by NOM was unresolved. The company claimed it should be TPSA, as without them NOM would have to sign individual agreements with subscribers. However, TPSA objected and it appears that the telecom giant won the argument, as ac cording to the terms of the agreement to be signed, NOM will not only have to bill its customers directly, but also sign contracts individually with them if it wants to provide services to TPSA subscribers. The deal, which first has to be approved by NOM shareholders, will allow the operator to collect at least part the of more than zl. 200 million it is owed by c ustomers. However, "We will now have to change our whole business phil osophy," said NOM spokesman Marcin Gruszka. (Prawo i Gospodarka, p. 3) T.J.