Slovak Telekom (ST) has been fined Sk885 million (€28.38 million) for abusing its dominant position on the market, Alexandra Bernáthová from the anti-monopoly bureau (PMÚ) told the TASR newswire on August 20.
Slovak Telekom was judged to have abused its dominant position when it failed to make local lines, which are a part of its wholesale range of offers, available to its competitors who provide similar telecommunications services to end customers, Bernáthová said.
ST is the sole owner and administrator of telecommunications land lines throughout Slovakia. Its practices have meant that markets haven't been opened or have been opened only to a limited extent, thereby preventing a competitive environment from developing in the field of voice and internet-connection services, Bernáthová said.
Slovak Telekom as a wholesale company offers its services to retailers for further sale, but as a retailer itself also offers services to end customers.
"Slovak Telekom restricted retailers' opportunities to apply the most modern technologies independently from products offered by ST and fully closed off the market to potential competitors intending to enter the newly-opened market," Bernáthová stated.
The company's competitors don't have the opportunity to build up such unique equipment because of the huge expenses and big risks involved, so they have had to put up with ST's behaviour, she added.
Slovak Telekom has 15 days to appeal. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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