Orange Poland rolls out online TV
Orange Poland has launched its Web TV online-TV service. All subscribers of fixed operator Telekomunikacja Polska (TP), as well as of Orange Poland, will be able to access nine TV-channels via the portal.
Subscribers will be able to reach the service and check their balance with a login and password.
PTC inks network sharing deal with Orange (Poland)
Polish cellcos Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa (PTC) and Orange Poland, a unit of former telecoms monopoly Telekomunikacja Polska, have signed a letter of intent to cooperate on network infrastructure and radio frequency sharing.
The companies have filed a proposal with the Polish Competition Office for permission to establish a joint venture which will be responsible for operating both operators’ radio access networks (RANs).
According to the cellcos, as a result of the cooperation, customers will have access to a better quality network, while at the same time increasing network effectiveness. It will also allow for faster infrastructure development and will deliver to both companies cost savings amounting to ‘hundreds of millions of zloty over the next five years.’
According to the preliminary arrangements, both companies will have a 50% stake in the new joint venture company, which would build, operate and maintain co-used networks within the mutual cooperation.
The companies have agreed that the scope of the cooperation initiative will be limited to technical aspects and will allow the partners to: widen the coverage area, which will support the delivery of modern services, including mobile broadband, to a greater number of customers; reduce costs and maximize the efficiency of investments through joint planning of new investments and network upgrades; and continue to own their respective infrastructure while reducing network operating costs.
TPSA net profit declines by 13% (Poland)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 13% fall in the first quarter net profit of Telekomunikacja Polska S.A or TPSA has been announced by the operator which ended at PLN285 million (USD99 million). 10% drop in the sales has also been reported both in line with market expectations going down to PLN3.873 billion.
10.5% drop in sales to PLN2.311 billion has been recorded in fixed line sales while wireless sales dipped 9.1% to PLN1.816 billion. The mid-term the deterioration in sales would slow below last year’s pace of 8.8% before stabilizing in 2011.
According to Chief executive Maciej Witucki, the company has to wait for a decisive change in our earnings until the second half of the year, but the first quarter stands as a good beginning to a breakthrough year of 2010.
TPSA introduces lower Internet access price plan in Poland
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Lower Internet access price plan has been unveiled by Poland’s dominant telecomunications firm Telekomunikacja Polska SA in a bid to retain its market share from intense competition. TPSA is controlled by France Telecom.
According to company’s Chief Executive Maciej Witucki, the firm wants to defend market share and considering competition from cable TV operators and alternative telecoms, it will be a success for a dominant operator to defend its market share now at 40%.
Lower prices might be offered by the operator following a deal struck with the country’s market regulator, in which TPSA promised to build or upgrade 1.2 million Internet access lines. In return the regulator pledged to keep the regulated wholesale prices stable for three years.
TPSA’s landline infrastructure will be bought by alternative operators at regulated wholesale prices. The company also intends to pursue an aggressive pricing and product policy in its Internet offer. Last year, the regulator was pursuing a policy of gradual cuts of TPSA’s wholesale prices.
Telekomunikacja Polska accused of breaching EC laws (Poland)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: EC anti-trust investigation has revealed that competition in the domestic broadband market has been held back by Polish telco Telekomunikacja Polska. EC has also accused TP of breaching its rules covering abuse of dominant positions.
It has been accused of exploiting its incumbent status by failing to discount or reduce the wholesale price of broadband access in the country. TP is required to respond to the Statement of Objections issued by the EC within eight weeks.
If the breaching of law is proved, TP would be fined by the EC and would also be asked to open up its broadband network to competitors.
Polish operator TP revenues down 8.8% in 2009
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 8.8% drop in the revenues has been reported by Polish incumbent operator Telekomunikacja Polska. The 4.4% decline has been attributed to regulatory decisions. Mobile revenues were down 10.2 percent to PLN 7.745 billion, with a decrease of 9 percent attributed to regulatory decisions.
16.5 percent drop in EBITDA has also been reported which ended at PLN 6.279 billion. Margin squeeze on the market and decreasing ARPU coupled by growing customer volumes and usage decreased the percentage points from 3.5 percentage points to 37.9 percent.
The EBITDA margin was also hit by cost inflation due to a weaker Polish zloty and rising costs of property and energy.
10% revenue loss incurred by Poland’s TPSA in Q4
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 10% to 11% loss is incurred by Telekomunikacja Polska SA in its fourth-quarter with the revenue standing between 4 billion zlotys and 4.1 billion zlotys ($1.43 billion and $1.46 billion). Poland’s top telecommunication company, controlled by France Telecom, had the worst fourth quarter in a decade.
Cuts in regulated wholesale prices and competitive pressure are cited to be the reason behind this loss. PLN16 billion to PLN16.6 billion could be the revenue of 2009 which will be PLN1.5 billion lower than in 2008.
No Polish operator show interest in P4 takeover
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The largest mobile operators of Poland has not shown any interest in taking over smaller rival P4, if the company is put up for sale this year. Cyprus-based fund Tollerton Investments with 50.2 percent and Iceland-based fund Novator with 49.7 percent, the two shareholders of the telco set the sale of the business as an important priority in 2010 for the company’s managers.
The managers have been given stock options that can be cashed only if the company changes its owner and are expected to sell the company by this year. The managers also estimate the probability that the stock options will not be cashed this year at 30 percent.
Poland’s top mobile operator by revenue and market share Polkomtel and other Telekomunikacja Polska have not shown any plan to takeover P4. Even third-largest market participant Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa, owned by Deutsche Telekom has kept its reservations on the takeover plan.
GTS Energis signs deals with TP, PTC
Polish alternative fixed-line operator GTS Energis has signed a wholesale line rental (WLR) agreement with Polish incumbent Telekomunikacja Polska (TP), reports Interfax. The deal will see GTS Energis provide its xDSL internet services to TP customers, with GTS targeting around 12,000 TP customers using the service by end-2007, according to vice-president Jaromir Lacinski. It has also signed a mobile data capacity lease agreement with Polish mobile operator Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa (PTC). This will see GTS launch a mobile phone-based VPN service, based on PTC’s Blueconnect GPRS/EDGE/UMTS access solution. GTS Energis has also confirmed revenue guidance of PLZ 400 million and EBITDA guidance of PLZ 70 million for 2006. It generated sales of PLZ 198.1 million in first half 2006, up 3.7 percent from first half 2005, with EBITDA of PLZ 37.1 million, up by 50 percent.
Source- telecompaper Wireless Mobile Telecom
