Greek Telecoms Regulator Fines OTE EUR3 Million
ATHENS -(Dow Jones)- Greece's telecommunications regulator Friday fined Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE), the country's former monopoly phone company, EUR3 million for failing to meet regulatory requirements.
Specifically, the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission said in a brief statement that OTE had failed to provide necessary information to the commission about two of its programs - one for broadband Internet service, the other for bundled packages of services.
The two fines comprise a EUR2 million penalty relating to OTE's "conn-x" broadband program, and another EUR1 million for the bundled "All-in-one" service.
"As regards the conn-x program, the commission has fined OTE EUR2 million for failing to provide information as required by the terms of regulatory oversight of the ADSL market," the statement said.
The commission and OTE have also been at loggerheads for months over the company's bundled "All-in-one" package.
Mid last year, OTE's main rivals - Vodafone Greece and Wind Hellas - launched their own bundled programs which combined fixed and mobile telephone services with broadband Internet connections.
In late 2007, OTE responded by announcing its "All-in-one" package but was forced to delay the launch of the package for several months as the commission withheld approval.
Because of OTE's one-time monopoly status, and still dominant role in broadband and fixed-line services, the commission said it needed further information on how the "All-in-one" program would affect competition in the market.
Eventually, the commission granted only limited approval to OTE for the package, saying it hadn't received all the information it needed.
-By Alkman Granitsas, Dow Jones Newswires; +30 210 331 2881; alkman.granitsas@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
Posted to the site on 4th July 2008