The telephone watchdog URT is believed to be about to announce that Voice over Internet Protocol services are voice connections according to unofficial information. VoIP services are provided by using internet connections to provide telephone conversations. The consequence of this decision, if true, would be that all VoIP operators would have to stop offering international connections until the beginning of next year. The former monopoly TPSA still has a legal monopoly on international ’phone calls until this year is out.
Several operators providing VoIP services have said that they will take the matter to the EU if they are forced to close shop for calls abroad. They say that a ruling by the former telecommunications minister allowed this type of call.
It is argued that the current Polish telecommunications law defines voice based communications as those conversations that take place in real time. VoIP, it is argued, does not use real time.
To make the matter more complicated, a decision by the telecommunications watchdog URT does not have legal force.
Analysts from the electronics market institute IRE consider that the VoIP market was worth USD62.5m last year. This sum is more than twice as large as that for 2000. At that rate of growth, which is considered to be likely to continue, it is clearly a market that is worth fighting for.
One of the most recent firms to offer this type of service is Crowley Data Poland. Jarosław Roszkowski, MD of the company says that VoIP completes their offer and it will be introduced no matter what. He says that his legal advisors believe that there is no way that it can be considered voice communications in the strictest sense of the law.