TeliaSonera establishes new infrastructure company
Press Release
September 24, 2007
TeliaSonera establishes new infrastructure company
TeliaSonera is establishing a new fully-owned telecom infrastructure subsidiary
in Sweden. The company will cover copper and fibre networks and multiplexing,
and sell its products on equal terms to TeliaSonera's wholesaler customers and
the company's own operations.
TeliaSonera's goal is to retain its position as the leading broadband provider
in Sweden by means of a well-functioning market based on commercial and business
terms. Plans include developing both end customer and wholesaler targeted
products.
Market size, geographical conditions and vast investment needs make it hard for
many operators to build and maintain a fixed nationwide telecom infrastructure.
TeliaSonera is prepared to continue taking responsibility for that role. Several
operators sharing the same infrastructure saves customers money, as
infrastructure is the single most expensive part of electronic communications.
This is why TeliaSonera opened its copper network to other operators already
back in 2000, before being legally obligated to do so. The new infrastructure
company will clarify equal treatment of operators and increase the possibilities
for control.
A well-functioning Swedish broadband market is important to TeliaSonera. We want
Sweden to be number one not only in infrastructure but also in broadband usage.
Therefore we are now also investing in wholesale, for example by offering a
variety of new products and services that meet operators' needs. We hope that
this results in a wider offering for all customers and an increased use of
electronic services.
TeliaSonera establishes the new infrastructure company in order to ensure that
the market's requirement for transparency and full control is met. This means
that all operators and our own operations are treated equally. We also believe
that with a separate company, we will be able to run our infrastructure
operations more efficiently. We understand that the company will be responsible
for a major part of the Swedish infrastructure and that therefore there is
general interest in how the operations are conducted.
TeliaSonera wants to continue to invest in the Swedish telecommunications
infrastructure, but TeliaSonera must also be able to manage these investments
within the scope of the requirement for equal treatment. TeliaSonera relies on
the market forces and opposes the proposal of the Swedish National Post and
Telecom Agency PTS for an act on so-called functional separation. The problems
of the broadband market are not the kind that require such far-reaching
legislative action. PTS suggests amendments that among other things weaken the
right of ownership and may be contradictory to the respect for right of
ownership protected by the Swedish Constitution.
"The proposal regulates in detail the operations of a listed company in a manner
which is unacceptable to us", says Anders Bruse, Head of the Broadband Services
business area at TeliaSonera. "With our market-based plan, we are able to solve
the problems of the broadband market on voluntary basis and much faster than by
legislative means."
Electronic communication legislation should create equal and common rules in
Sweden as compared with the whole EU telecommunications market. We would like
Sweden to follow the EU's process and schedule as regards telecommunications
legislation. The present EU directives are currently being reviewed, and during
the autumn the Commission is expected to present a proposal that will regulate
the prerequisites for the implementation of functional separation. If Sweden
does not wait for the new EU directives, the legislation may have to be
reconsidered.
The market is increasingly cross-border and the Swedish telecommunications
companies are increasingly often in direct or indirect competition with other
European companies. Equal treatment of the industry in Sweden and other European
countries is becoming more and more important.
The new infrastructure company is estimated to launch operations in Q4 2007.
_____________________________________________
For further information journalists can contact:
TeliaSonera's Press Service, +46-(0)8-713 58 30
TeliaSonera is the leading telecommunications company in the Nordic and Baltic
region, with strong positions within mobile communications in Eurasia, Turkey
and Russia. At the end of 2006, TeliaSonera launched mobile services in Spain.
We provide reliable, innovative and easy-to-use services for transferring and
packaging voice, images, data, information, transactions and entertainment. In
2006, TeliaSonera's net sales amounted to SEK 91 billion, and at the end of
March 2007 the total number of customers exceeded 100 million in 15 countries.
The TeliaSonera share is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange and the Helsinki
Stock Exchange, and the company is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability
Index. Simplicity and service are important tools for us in creating profitable
growth and value for our customers and shareholders. Read more at
www.teliasonera.com.
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