STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Feb. 21, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Swedish Post and Telecom Agency, PTS, today announced that Europolitan Vodafone is to be regarded as having "significant market power" status, (SMP) in the interconnect traffic market. Europolitan Vodafone considers this decision to be ill-founded. The company plans to lodge an appeal and request the cancellation of the decision.
According to EU rules and the Swedish Telecommunications Act, a company shall be regarded as having significant market power when its market share exceeds 25 per cent. Europolitan Vodafone's share of the market is 13 per cent. The fact that PTS is now deviating so significantly from the so-called presumption rule is incompatible with the guidelines of Swedish legislation. In no other European country has an operator with such a small market share been classified as having SMP status.
It is also surprising that PTS should now in a very short time produce an SMP decision that is based on legislation that has been rejected by the EU and that is shortly due to be replaced by new EU rules that are better adapted to today's mobile market.
"This decision is also remarkable in that PTS should be taking this step at the same time as competition in Sweden is intensifying," says Jon Risfelt, President and CEO of Europolitan Vodafone. "A large number of new telecoms operators have established themselves in the Swedish telecoms market and there are more waiting in the wings."
Europolitan Vodafone is a mobile operator with a license to build 3G mobile telecoms networks. The company's strength lies in its focus on developing international services, service and quality. Europolitan Vodafone employs some 1,500 people and is listed on the Attract 40 list of the Stockholm Stock Exchange. The company's majority owner is Vodafone of the UK, with 71 per cent of Europolitan Holdings AB. Private shareholders, investment companies and pension funds own the remaining 29 per cent. Vodafone is represented on 5 continents and has more than 200 million mobile telecoms users. In April 2002 Europolitan Vodafone will change brand to Vodafone. www.europolitan.se/ and www.vodafone.com/
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