Current reports

WARSAW, Poland - October 28, 1999 - Netia Holdings SA (Nasdaq: NTIA), the largest alternative fixed-line telephone operator in Poland, today announced the signing of a strategic contract with Swedish communications solutions provider Ericsson, for the delivery of a turnkey country-wide IP Service Production Network. Under this contract, Ericsson will deliver to Netia all the components for a complete high-quality internet service network by the end of 1999.

 

The terms of the contract provide for the development by Ericsson of IP equipment and service infrastructures, which will allow Netia to offer Polish subscribers world-class Internet access and services of a quality unmatched by existing Internet providers.

 

Ericsson will supply to Netia a complete Service Production Network including customer front-end applications for Netia's IP solutions. The scope of the contract includes the setup of Tigris Remote Access Servers in each of Netia's Points of Presence, as well as the installation of backbone routers, DNS servers, mail-, web-, AAA- and cache servers, with installation to be completed before the end of 1999. This complete systems solution will enhance both ease of access and the speed of Internet services for Netia's subscribers in Poland.

 

Ericssons local subsidiary, Ericsson Sp. z o.o. will provide the system in cooperation with local software producers.

 

"We chose Ericsson because they were able to demonstrate to us that they could not only deliver cutting-edge technology, but also a full range of systems integration skills. We intend to provide our customers with the highest quality Internet service available in Poland, and we are pleased to have a partner who shares our commitment to deliver quality and service," commented George Makowski, Vice President of Marketing for Netia.

 

Martin Rawet, Ericsson's Business Development Director in Poland, remarked: "This opportunity is a breakthrough for Ericsson in the field of IP services. We have been able to show that we can add local value by putting Poland on the IP software production map and creating projects that offer new and attractive work opportunities for highly-skilled Polish software companies."

Ericsson is a leading provider of communications solutions in the new telecommunications world, offering a combination of telecom and data technologies with unsurpassed freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over.

 

Netia is the largest alternative fixed-line telecommunications operator in Poland, with 23 licenses for local telecommunications services in territories covering some 13 million people or approximately 33% of the Polish population. Currently the company¿s digital access network is serving over 225,000 subscriber lines, out of which over 45,000 are dedicated to business customers.

 

The Companys local telephone license territories cover five of the country¿s ten largest urban areas including Krakow, Poznan, Gdansk, Lublin, Katowice and several territories surrounding the city of Warsaw. Netia has also secured the benefit of a data and IP license to provide data transmission and internet-based services nationally.