P4 Postpones Launching Polish Operations

[Effendi]

P4 postpones launching Polish operations

Warsaw (Puls Biznesu) ? P4, the fourth mobile operator in Poland, postpones its debut.

The telecom operator is expected to end the oligopoly of the three mobile operators present on the Polish market. It will come later than previously planned, however.

?We will launch services in the first quarter of next year, and not at the end of the year 2006 as we promised?, Chris Bannister, P4 CEO said.

The operator has problems with building masts necessary to put transmission equipment. The reason: it takes too long to get permission to build a mast. P4 wants to have 1,500 masts but has permissions to build only 36 of them. However, the Parliament approved of a bill several days ago, which will make the environmental regulations ? the source of P4 problems - much easier.

?The changes will let us have 25 percent of the necessary masts at the beginning of next year. IT is enough to start commercial offer?, Chris Bannister said.

Because of the delay, the virtual operators of MVNO may be the first ones to offer mobile services. Cyfrowy Polsat and MNI are going to launch their telecom services by the end of this year.

?We are not afraid of them because they have no infrastructure. You need to have your own network in order to compete with your price?, P4 head said.

P4 which belongs to listed Netia and Novator, a fund from Island, promises lower prices.

?Next year, we want to have 5 percent market share of the market of new clients. We expect in 2007, there will be 8-10m of new clients. We want to win a substantial market share so we will lower the prices when we enter the market?, Chris Bannister said.

P4 said it would have positive EBITDA after five years of operations. The delay means later income, which may adversely affect the results of listed Netia, the owner of 30 percent stake in the operator. P4 wants to invest EUR 600-650m in the infrastructure. Netia is supposed to provide EUR 90m.