Nine Polish telecommunication companies have jointed together in a price struggle with a powerful operator Telekomunikacja Polska (Polish Telecommunication TP). The aim of the coalition is to force TP to change the prices of the access to its network infrastructure. According to the operators, TP have made them pay eight times more than foreign companies.
The conflict between smaller operators and dominant TP started a few months ago. Since then the tense situation has only gone worse. Operations cannot accept the price conditions TP enforced some time ago. Companies have to pay whopping fees for getting an access to TP’s network infrastructure (TP as a company of dominant position and the most extensive network in the country dictates the conditions).
“It’s not all it was cracked up to be,” complain the operators. “After breaking the monopoly of TP in the ’90s, the company should not behave like a ruthless dictator on the telecommunication market any more. We have to pay eight times more for getting an access to its network.”
In fact, one operator is not in power to enforce TP to change its price policy since its existence on the market is dependent on having a good business relationship with TP. The established coalition containing nine companies is supposed to be a remedy. If forthcoming negotiations fail, operators will announce an official protest. They are going to block TP users the access to major Polish portals during a weekend.
“I hope this action will change this unfavorable price policy and will keep a tight rein on TP’s destructive market strategy,” commented one of the members of the coalition.
NASK, Aster City, UPC, GTS, Dialog, Interia, Onet, Netia and Energis have become the members of the coalition.
