Polish mobile service providers PTK Centertel (the operator of Orange network) and P4 (network operator, Play) plan to create a joint venture for the upcoming LTE spectrum rights in 2.6 G

Polish mobile service providers PTK Centertel (the operator of Orange network) and P4 (network operator, Play) plan to create a joint venture for the upcoming LTE spectrum rights in 2.6 GHz frequency band.

Polish  regulator UKE (Office of Electronic Communications) has proposed the sale of only two frequency blocks – each of them too large to be able to use it in full one operator. 

We are investigating the possibility of creating a company, which will then have started in the tender for the frequency of LTE – said Marcin Gruszka, a spokesman for the P4, reports http://www.rp.pl

Play’s corporate blog indicates a possible 4G joint venture with Orange. 

“Our potential collaboration with Orange is a theoretical as yet on the Polish market, the idea of functional separation of the market – a common network provider, which reduces costs and risks through economies of scale, while equal access to resources for operators serving end-customers and, finally, fully competitive retail market – by offering, pricing, quality, brand …” explains the blog.

Company blog further states that It is of course still a lot of unknowns – including the final terms of the tender, so a lot can still happen. However, if you get permission from the OCCP (today asked for such consent) to create a joint venture to tender LTE, will open the way to one of the most groundbreaking projects in the Polish telecoms recent years. I will be very tempting to go that way. We look forward to the opinion of the OCCP, and who knows, maybe the UKE on the occasion of determining the conditions of the tender, “bless” (read accept) the idea of starting a joint tender