Lietuvos Telekomas intolerant of violation of it's rights

VILNIUS (ELTA) – Lietuvos Telekomas stated March 30 that it had informed one of the operators, which had violated the rights of the Lithuanian telecommunications company, that within a period of time stipulated by law, Lietuvos Telekomas would suspend agreements with the said operator on the provision of phone connection services and telecommunication net connection. The same was reported to be the case with the transportation ministry.

Lietuvos Telekomas is determined to refrain from tolerating violation of exceptional rights and vows to protect itself with legal and technical measures. Transportation ministry officials said that investigation of the conflict was almost complete. Before final conclusions the name of the company would not be disclosed.

During privatisation Lietuvos Telekomas was granted exceptional rights to provide services on fixed-line telecommunication connections till Dec. 31, 2002. That right is described in the law on telecommunications and the licence, issued to the telecom by the transportation ministry. By granting exceptional rights to Lietuvos Telekomas, the government took into consideration the fact that all works, related to Lithuanian telecommunications, which had not been completed in previous decades, should be carried out in several years; that is modernisation and expansion of telecommunications net, installation of an advanced phone conversation accounting system, increase of volume of services and improvement of the quality of provision thereof, creation and introduction of a modern structure for activities of the telecom and management thereof.

Lietuvos Telekomas claims that certain local phone connection and paging operators and supplies of telecommunications services fail to stick to Lithuanian laws, as they provide services on call-back, international phone connection and Internet telephony. The said activities violate exceptional rights of Lietuvos Telekomas, which are defined by law.