Early experience of operating in a newly liberalized European telecommunications market is going to be vital when some of the larger markets finally start getting around to liberalizing, so there is certain to be keen interest in the news that the Dutch government this week invited applications for new national and regional telephone infrastructure licenses. We’re opening applications for licenses from anywhere in the world – it’s absolutely open, said Sjef Diris, head of telecommunications and posts at the Dutch transport ministry. According to Reuter, two new licenses are on offer for national fixed line infrastructure to go into competition with Koninklijke PTT Nederland NV, the current monopoly fixed line provider. Up to 1,300 regional licenses are also on offer, allowing Dutch cable television operators, electricity company networks and others to tender for the right to provide telephone infrastructure. Applications for the national licenses are open until September 9 with the decision being delivered by December 31, based on quality, speed of installation and the amount of existing infrastructure to be used. The regional timetable gives preference to cable television and company network operators, giving them 12 weeks to put in applications. Asked how the telephone market could deal with such a fragmented pattern of license holders, Diris said operators could form alliances or sell off their interests, enabling a market in telephone infrastructure to flourish. We’re not the ones to decide what people should do (with their holdings), he said. British Telecommunications Plc and national railway operator company Nederlandse Spoorwegen teamed last year to bid for a new telephony license and to promote Concert services, Enertel, grouping the main regional Dutch power companies and local cable television operators is also expected to be a contender.The Netherlands will next year be offering new digital cellular licenses for DCS 1800 Personal Communications Network services.
