The CTU, the telecom-sector regulator, said yesterday that the three Czech cellular operators have until October 30 to express whether they accept the state’s new conditions for payment of CZK 6.7 bil. fixed-price UMTS licenses proposed by the CTU on Tuesday. Given that the new proposal does not differ much from the original one from August (which the operators deemed unacceptable), we expect the operators to reject it. We believe that the government will ultimately be forced to reduce the fixed price. Indeed, the CTU head, David Stadnik, is quoted in today’s MFDnes newspaper as saying that a new tender with new conditions could be held next year, should the current one fail. Neutral to slightly positive.
(Ondrej Datka)