URT pledge to resolve telecom conflicts
Resolving existing conflicts between operators will be the first priority for Poland's new independent telecom regulatory office, said Marek Zdrojewski, the president of the Office of Telecommunications Regulation (URT) last week.
"We are not prejudiced toward any operators," he said. "We treat them all equally."
Fixed-line operators, including Netia, Telefonia Lokalna and Niezalezny Operator Miedzystrefowy (NOM), have had problems negotiating interconnection agreements with monopolist Telekomunikacja Polska (TPSA). The agreements set fees for using TPSA's network.
The URT was handed all the regulatory powers of the Communications Ministry under Poland's new telecommunications law, which took effect on Jan. 1. The ministry will continue to create telecom legislation and determine telecom policy.
Unlike the ministry, the URT is not a direct subordinate of the Polish government. The office is modeled on the independent telecom regulatory agencies in Western Europe. Zdrojewski, who served as communications minister in 1998 and 1999, was appointed URT president by Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek last October.
