WSE-listed telecoms giant Telekomunikacja Polska (TP) is considering construction of a next-generation network (NGN) and the level of the investment might reach as high as several billion euro, Puls Biznesu daily reported.
"TP's project concerns one aspect of NGN, namely FTTH [Fiber to the Home] solutions," Wojciech Jabczyński, the head of TP's press office, told WBJ. The plan foresees direct household internet access via fiber-optic network. "TP has already used FTTH but never as far as to the customer's wall socket," Jabczyński stressed, adding that a trial run will soon start at a house in Warsaw.
New multimedia services might be launched thanks to the investment, but the cost of installation is high - it ranges from EUR 2,000-5,000 (zł.7,250- 18,120) per connection, according to data from JP Morgan. TP is searching for ways to ensure a return on its investment.
"There are many ways an investor such as TP should be encouraged [to make investments]," said Jabczyński. He noted that the state has not fostered conditions favorable for such an investment.
One solution which has been suggested would be for TP to own and operate its infrastructure without allowing competitors to make use of it free of charge. Such a step could draw the ire of the Office of Electronic Communications, which is pressing TP to let other competitors on the market.
Moreover, smaller operators are skeptical about the idea of TP getting special treatment. "We invest a lot ourselves in enriching our offer and improving internet speeds, but we do not expect any legal guarantees," said Simon Boyd, president of the management board of UPC Polska, a provider of internet services to 300,000 users in Poland.
TP's plans are key for the modernization of the country, according to Paweł Olszynka, a telecoms analyst from PMR Consulting. "Still, TP has revealed too little to say whether its plan could be a success," he said.
