Netia Bids for Warsaw Regional License.

WARSAW, Poland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 1998--Netia Holdings, the largest alternative provider of fixed-line local telephone services in Poland, today announced that it will bid for a license to provide fixed services to the Warsaw area (including the capital city), and is considering bids for one or more of the other six remaining unlicensed regions in Poland.

On September 10, the Ministry of Communications announced new tenders for granting licenses to provide fixed telephone services to the remaining unlicensed six regions in Poland: Warsaw, Lodz (Poland's second largest city), Kielce, Czestochowa, Plock and Skierniewice.

These tenders will complete the process of granting local access network licenses throughout Poland. The results of these tenders are expected to be announced by the end of this year.

Commenting on Netia's decision to make a bid, Netia CEO Meir Srebernik said, "Warsaw is Poland's most populated region and therefore it is a priority market. The other regions would strengthen our position in Poland's deregulated telecommunications sector."

Netia Holdings is Poland's largest alternative provider of fixed-line local telephone services. The Company currently holds 23 licenses to build and operate telecommunications networks and provides service in areas covering approximately 13.4 million people or roughly 33% of the Polish population.