RadioMobil forced to halt Paegas Internet Call service at 5:00 p.m. today

A decision reached by the Czech Telecommunications Bureau and confirmed by Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Antonín Peltrám forced RadioMobil to halt operation of its Paegas Internet Call service on February 25 at 5:00 p.m. Having already been remitted to a higher authority, the decision can no longer be appealed.

â?śItâ??s surprising that the Czech Telecommunications Bureau [ÄŚTÚ] verbally supports the introduction of competition everywhere possible, but the moment we succeed in offering customers an affordable service which immediately attracts a wide group of admirers, the very same authorities place a ban on it. The ÄŚTÚ has missed out on an opportunity to promote competition in a completely legal manner and to offer customers affordable, attractive services,â?ť said RadioMobil press spokeswoman Tereza Kakosová.

â?śWe are convinced that the service is within the bounds of currently valid legislation. In addition, there is no other country in the world at the present time which has forbid services which use the Internet for voice transmission. For its part, the European Union exempted Internet calling from telecommunications regulations some time ago. Even Chinese regulatory bodies have decided that similar services are not subject to regulation, and the Slovak operator GSM Globtel is also introducing a service similar to Paegas Internet Call,â?ť Kakosová added.

Since February 1, more than 400,000 customers have been able to take advantage of new rates for Paegas Internet Call, calling Europe for only 9.50 KÄŤ per minute and other selected countries for 12.90 KÄŤ per minute. Since its introduction at the midpoint of last year, Paegas Internet Call has become a much-sought-after service.

The Czech Republic is home to a number of other firms which offer their customers IP phoning and whose activities have not received any attention from the ÄŚTÚ. The only substantial difference between Paegas Internet Call and similar services offered by other operators is that RadioMobil has considerably simplified Internet connection â?? and been awarded a Crystal Disc and Product of the Year from Software News for its unique solution. RadioMobil also came away from the International Congress of the Association of GSM Operators in Cannes on February 23 as the most innovative GSM operator in the world in terms of technology, an honor won in large part thanks to the development of Paegas Internet Call.

â?śWe should also add that nobody is looking into the problems weâ??ve been having with local wireless loops (SPT Telecomâ??s Hughes, Telecom 21) interfering with the GSM network signal for more than two years now, while the ÄŚTÚ has clearly moved its investigation of Paegas Internet Call to the forefront,â?ť said Kakosová.

T-Mobile Czech Republic, a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, has almost 6.2 million customers, the number-one operator in the Czech market. T-Mobile is an integrated operator: in addition to telecommunications services, it offers comprehensive ICT solutions not only for companies, but also for other organizations and individuals. It provides outstanding services in the high-speed network, which was proved repeatedly by benchmark testing performed by umlaut (former P3) with Best-in-Test seal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic places emphasis on taking a responsible approach to the environment and society. It adheres to fair business practices, helps beneficial applications and services to see the light of day, supports non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals, and lends a helping hand whenever crisis situations arise. The company’s employees serve as volunteers in many places across the entire Czech Republic.

More information about the company is available at www.t-mobile.cz, www.t-press.cz (the portal for journalists) and www.t-mobile.cz/pomahame (information on the company’s CSR activities).

Contact details of the press unit: press@t-press.cz.