Poland

[PL] Consultations on opening cable networks to competitors

IRIS 2018-5:1/28

Tobias Raab

Stopp Pick & Kallenborn, Saarbrücken

The Polish telecommunications regulator, Urząd Komunikacji Elektronicznej (UKE), has opened talks with Polish cable network operators with the aim of persuading them to open up their networks to competitors.

According to the UKE, the talks involve Warsaw-based operators Orange Polska, Netia, UPC Polska and Vectra Investments, as well as Multimedia Polska (based in Gdynia), Toya (based in Lodz) and Inea (based in Poznan). The talks mainly concerned the conditions under which cable network operators can be expected to allow others to use their technical infrastructure. In the regulator’s opinion, the draft decisions drawn up as part of the consultation should bring Poland closer to the Gigabit Society. They also reflect the UKE’s strategy for the 2017-2020 period, as well as the Digital Agenda for Europe and the Europe 2020 strategy.

The UKE hailed the talks as generally positive, providing grounds for hope that the suggestions and comments put forward could form a helpful basis for the development of universally applicable conditions under which broad access to the operators’ infrastructure could be provided. The success of the talks was important because it would give providers non-discriminatory access to the networks. The reduction in costs that this should create, together with expected increases in investment, should benefit not only the telecommunications companies but, most importantly, their customers.