The Polish competition authority UOKiK has fined the country’s four mobile companies Polkomtel, Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa, PTK Centertel and P4 a total PLN113 million (€25.24 million) for operating a cartel and thereby holding back the development of mobile TV services.
In a statement, the UOKiK says that it held a competition for a mobile TV licence in 2009 in which the four companies participated as a consortium known as Mobile TV that ultimately lost out to the successful bidder Info-TV-FM.
They then entered into an illegal agreement that lasted over two and a half years and prevented the launch of DVB-H in Poland.
Polkomtel will be required to pay PLN33.4 million, Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa PLN34 million, PTK Centertel PLN35 million and P4 PLN10.7 million.