Telefónica charges a fee for statements to the building authority

Prague - The company Telefónica O2 has started charging a fee for a document that is essential for decision-making on land-use planning at the building authority since November. The operator charges 600 crowns for a statement regarding the existence of communication networks. Today's Mladá fronta Dnes reports this. The Union of Towns and Municipalities has asked the company to reconsider its intention.
Telefónica states that its actions are legal and that other telecommunications operators are taking similar steps. "The service is associated with certain administrative costs that we previously had to bear," said company spokesman Martin Žabka. He added that if the request is made online, the price is reduced by half, making the statement cost 300 CZK.
According to Žabka, the operator wants to encourage applicants to use the internet more. So far, one in every 25 requests is made through the network. If the ratio remains the same, the operator would gain nearly 90 million annually, MfD writes.
According to the newspaper, some representatives of municipalities find the price that Telefónica has started to charge excessive. The Union of Towns and Municipalities sent a letter to the first vice-chairman of the board of Telefónica, Juraj Šedivý, asking him to reconsider the intention to collect fees. On Friday, representatives of the union are scheduled to meet with Jiří Lagner, who heads network administration and documentation at Telefónica.
Similar statements are also issued to builders by owners of electrical installations, sewage systems, or gas connections, the newspaper notes.