TPSA tries to block other telephony operators from using VoIP services

Telecoms giant Telekomunikacja Polska (TPSA) has sent a letter to other operators threatening them with legal action if they continue to offer international telephony services based on Voice over Internet Protocol. VoIP services are much cheaper for customers, though of a lower quality. The Telecommunications Ministry say that TPSA will have problems proving their claim on two counts: firstly, because the VoIP services are different in quality from standard telephony and secondly, because TPSA has a monopoly on outgoing international calls and the letter refers to incoming international telecom traffic. Other operators, such as Era GSM, the only mobile operator in Poland offering VoIP services, claim that they did not receive such a letter. Other operators have also officially denied receiving TPSA's letter, safe in the knowledge that Polish telecommunications law does not define services based on VoIP. According to Andrzej Piotrowski, director of the Adam Smith Center, the law guaranteeing TPSA's monopoly until December 31 2002, remains controversial and services such as VoIP are used to avoid such monopoly. (Puls Biznesu, July 2, p. 3) P.W.