A New CEZTel's Step to Prepare for Liberalization of the Telecommunication Market

The power-generation company CEZ had established in the end of the last year its daughter joint-stock company CEZTel to operate a digital communication network built during the nineties for the needs of the power engineering sector. The sole owner of the joint-stock company currently is CEZ a.s. This 13th April CEZ Board of Directors decided to invest assets in CEZTel, taking a significant step in the preparation of the joint-stock company for the opening of the telecommunication market.

Currently, CEZTel owns the second largest optical network in the Czech Republic. CEZTel's digital communication network, totaling to 2,500 kilometers, forms a backbone connecting all Czech regions and includes also telecommunication connections to abroad.

The joint-stock company specializes in the rendering of international and national commercial services in the area of telecommunication and data transmissions. Its priority mission is to render high-quality services to the power-engineering sector and offer the remaining capacity on the liberalized telecommunication market. Fully liberalized power engineering is associated with a need of good telecommunication services. The joint-stock company at present provides for the telecommunication and data operation for CEZ and other power-engineering companies, including nuclear power-engineering, and leases optical fibers to Aliatel and GTS.

"CEZTel is ready to enter with its services the telecommunication market and become a strong alternative operator. Negotiations with numerous telecommunication firms are in progress and should result in our future cooperation. That will lead to a better use of both the technical potential and human resources in our optical fibers," said Jiri Ehrlich, CEZTel General Manager.

Ladislav Kriz,press, spokesman of CEZ

25. 4. 2000