Court annuls UKE's 2007 wireless tender

Business daily newspaper Parkiet reports that Warsaw’s administrative court has ruled that the participants in the tender for mobile frequencies organised by the Electronic Communication Office (UKE) in 2007 were not treated equally. The verdict could be to the detriment of the winners CenterNet and Tolpis (Mobyland). CenterNet bid PLN128 million (USD48 million) for frequencies in the 1710MHz-1730MHz range (it declined frequencies in the 1800MHz range), while the frequencies in the higher range were sold to the second-placed bidder Tolpis, a joint venture between Italian ISP Eutalia and Telekomunikacja Kolejowa, which agreed to pay PLN102 million. In its ruling the court agreed with established cellco Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa (PTC), operator of the Era mobile network, to annul the tender. UKE has said that it will appeal against the verdict, but if it loses it will mean that the two operators may have to reapply for the frequencies. CenterNet launched operations at the end of May 2009 while Tolpis has still to begin commercial operations.