Poland says can address EU concerns over 2015 spectrum auction

WARSAW: Poland can resolve its differences with the European Commission about the way the country assigned new, fast mobile internet spectrum last year, Poland's digitisation minister said on Monday. Anna Strezynska told reporters that, as a result, she did not see any threat to the outcome of the 9 billion zlotys ($2.4 billion) auction. Poland auctioned the 800 MHz mobile spectrum, called LTE, last year. Operator Sferia got spectrum outside the auction, which generated a complaint to the European Commission from T-Mobile.

In September, the Commission said it had concerns about the auction and it has sent a formal letter to Warsaw asking for clarifications. "This is an easy case. The Commission's charges are frankly speaking rather simple and can be quickly resolved," Strezynska said, adding digitisation ministry officials were working on the matter. "I do not expect any consequence here; there is no threat (to the auction)," she also said. The 9 billion zlotys the Polish government received from the sale of LTE licences is crucial to meeting election promises of more spending by the new Polish government that took power in October last year.