Operators Should Choose Form of Selection

On November 21 was held a meeting of working teams dealing with the problem of the obligation to allow clients the choice of fixed line telecommunications operator.

According to the Telecommunications Office of the Slovak Republic the alternative telecommunication operator should decide on whether the client or the telecommunication operator itself can determine the form of selection of an alternative operator through pre-selection of the number or call-by-call basis by dialling a prefix. The office said that making available both forms of selection of an alternative operator would require excessive investments. The office arrived at this opinion after consideration of the present state of telecommunications networks.

The telecommunications law stipulates that a telecommunication company providing the public telecommunication service is obliged to give to the user an opportunity to select another telecommunication company providing the same service, either through pre-selection of the number or call-by-call basis by dialling a prefix.

The next meeting of the working teams is scheduled for December 5.

The solution prepared by working teams will facilitate an agreement between the telecommunications companies providing public phone services and also as platform for the decision of the Telecommunication Office's platform on which carrier selection would be based. The working team is set up of representatives of Slovenské telekomunikácie (Slovak Telecom), EuroTel, Orange, Telecommunications Office of the Slovak Republic and ATO.

Bratislava 25 November 2002.