Polish UMTS licences delayed by bidder discontent

Poland has delayed the awarding of its UMTS licences following discontent expressed by national telecom operators over the conditions of the process.

The licence allocation will now take place on 1 December instead of 17 November as originally intended. Poland's biggest fixed-line operator Netia has already pulled out of the race claiming "the conditions of the tender are not attractive." The Polish government has set a price tag of E650m (£377m) which many incumbents have complained is too high. Centertel, Poland's largest mobile operator, is also considering withdrawing. In a statement, the company said it was investigating the situation and will announce next week whether it intends to withdraw. The two remaining mobile phone operators, Polkomtel and Polska Telefonica Cyfrowa have also threatened to boycott the tender unless the Polish telecom regulator reconsiders the tender process.