ČESKÝ TELECOM WILL CONTINUE OPERATING PUBLIC PAYPHONES
16.3.2006
ČESKÝ TELECOM will continue operating public payphones. This week the Czech Telecommunications Office Council made this decision based on a tender for the supply of component services in the framework of a universal service. The objective of the tender was to select a solution that would ensure required accessibility to public payphone services to a defined extent and quality at the lowest possible cost.
“Our company has proven its technical and professional capacity to operate public payphones, and, at the same time, demonstrated its relevant experience in this field. I believe that we are the only company in the Czech Republic that is capable of providing the relevant component service for a universal service in such a way that it meets all the demanding criteria set by legislation and the market regulator,” stated Martin Žabka, Press Spokesman for ČESKÝ TELECOM.
At present, ČESKÝ TELECOM is operating approximately 26 000 public payphones. Public payphones can be used for more than making telephone calls. They can also be used to send SMS messages – by text or voice – to mobile networks as well as to fixed lines. It is also possible to use them to send short email messages. ČESKÝ TELECOM customers send approximately 9000 messages from payphones per day.
Martin Zabka
Spokesperson
ČESKÝ TELECOM, a. s., member of the Telefónica Group is the leading telecommunications company in the Czech Republic. Through its subsidiary company Eurotel Praha, spol. s r.o., it also has a significant presence in the Czech mobile services market. Further information about the firm and the services it offers is available at www.telecom.cz, which was rated as BestWeb 2003 in the WebTop100 survey.
Signum Temporis has consistently awarded ČESKÝ TELECOM for being one of the domestic capital market's most transparent firms in terms of providing information. Based on an open vote of specialists, members of the press and a nine-member committee, ČESKÝ TELECOM placed first in 2003, just as it did in 2001.
ČESKÝ TELECOM ranks among the most prominent firms on the Czech capital market in terms of capitalization and trading volumes. Its shares are also traded on the London Stock Exchange in the form of GDRs. ČESKÝ TELECOM's credit rating is the highest a Czech corporation can receive from top international rating agencies.
About Telefónica
Telefónica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world in terms of market capitalisation. Its activities are centered mainly on the fixed and mobile telephony businesses with broadband as the key tool for the development of both.
The company has a significant presence in 19 countries and a customer base that amounts more than 180 million accesses around the world. Telefónica has a strong presence in Latin America, where the company focuses an important part of its growth strategy.
Telefónica is a 100% listed company, with more than 1.5 million direct shareholders. Its share capital currently comprises 4,921,130,397 ordinary shares traded on the Spanish Stock Market (Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia) and on those in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, New York, Lima, Buenos Aires and São Paulo.
