Netia, Telefonia Dialog, Exatel, Tele2, GTS Energis are all fixed telecom operators fighting for the shrinking market in Poland.
“The consolidation is inevitable. Within 2-3 years, only two big operators will be left out of the five of them”, Piotr Nestorowicz, Tele2 general director said.
“Netia also sees the consolidation trend. A rival for TP must be founded”, Miroslaw Godlewski, Netia CEO added.
Meanwhile, there have been press rumors recently concerning the planned sale of the Polish Tele2. Netia was supposed to be the buyer. Operators do not comment on the news. Tele2 has just substantially decreased its debt which – according to press reports – could be the first stage of the sale. The Swedish owner has increased the capital of the company which has paid back nearly the whole of its debts amounting to PLN 300m (EUR 88.2m).
“The company is not being prepared to be sold. The balance was cleared because of the debts, the results looked like we were on the verge of bankruptcy and sometimes deliverers and business partners had doubts”, Piotr Nesterowicz explained.
Other telecoms may be put up for sale, including Telefonia Dialog whose CEO Piotr Mazurkiewicz would like to find a strategic investor (or have the company listed), and GTS Energis which has recently been acquired by a group of investment funds.
Consolidation is usually the end of price wars.
“The prices are low already. There will be no other price war, prices may get lower for higher speed of the internet”, Piotr Nesterowicz believed.
Maciej Witucki, TP CEO, said in February that the price war for broadband internet access was over.
(PLN 1 = EUR 0.294)