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With digital transformation we embrace innovation

INEA Utilising technology in the telecoms sector WRIT TEN BY

SE AN GA LE A-PACE PRODUCED BY

JA MES PEPPER

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Management Board Member and Chief Operating Officer of INEA, Michał Bartkowiak, discusses how his company is utilising technology amid digital transformation in the industry.

s the fastest broadband and Wi-Fi provider in Poland in 2018, INEA has achieved significant success during the last year.

Michał Bartkowiak, Management Board Member and Chief Operating Officer of INEA, believes innovation and the company’s willingness to embrace technology has been key reasons to INEA’s achievements. “We are definitely an innovative company. As a provider of retail services, we deliver the fastest broadband in the world with our flagship offering of the symmetric internet with Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH) technology at a speed of 10Gb/s,” affirms Bartkowiak. “As an infrastructure operator, we are one of the only operators in Europe that actively opens the network we use as a services provider to other telecommunications operators.” Through providing broadband, internet, television, mobile and fixed-line telephony services, as well

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as professional services for business

that we differ from many companies

and public sector, Bartkowiak believes

because of our way of thinking. We

that INEA has become successful due

are a technological leader in the region

the company’s ability to diversify.

with a state-of-the-art infrastructure

“One of the great features of the world that surrounds us is diversity.

that we aren’t afraid to use.” With more than 250,000 customers,

Attitudes and business models of

INEA value their investments in rural

companies from the TMT sector

areas having introduced the last mile

differ from one another and a result,

network which covers over 70,000

a specific market space has been

households in rural areas within the

created for each of us, where we can

Greater Poland region. The implemen-

operate and experiment,” he explains.

tation of the network has allowed

“If we look at the telecommunications

INEA to collect data in order to better

market in Europe, it becomes evident

understand the needs of residents in w w w. in ea . p l

the region. “The last mile network in rural areas enabled us to collect valuable experience, both in terms of the construction of a network in such area and the service sales potential. Now, we have a better understanding of the needs of the residents and we’re ready to expand such networks in Poland.”

MAKING SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENTS As a leading firm in the field of fibreoptic infrastructure in the Greater 08

Poland region, INEA has invested more than $266mn in the infrastructure during the past six years. “These were investments implemented in two areas, such as construction of fibre-optic networks in the FTTH standard and reconstruction of the existing infrastructure to this standard,” says Bartkowiak. “The main projects involved the construction of a broad-band backbone network in Wielkopolska in 2013, the construction of last mile networks and the reconstruction of the infrastructure in towns and cities from Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) to FTTH standard.”

“We are continuously searching for new areas to grow. Sometimes, we joke that on the day when we announce the launch of a new product, we are already working on another one. That was precisely the case with the 10 Gb/s service we started this year. It’s vital we act quickly because of the way the market is changing” — Michał Bartkowiak, Management Board Member and COO of INEA

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During the past two years, INEA

have to examine how our expectations

took part in a competition under the

to the products or services that we

Operating Programme Digital Poland,

are using is changing. It’s important to

conducted by the Ministry of Digitali-

observe the entire spectrum of

sation in Poland and won in more

innovations taking place in the world,”

than 20 regions. In order to remain

he explains. “We can’t afford to wait

a leader in the industry, INEA has made

for another market challenger in the

strategic decisions in order to adapt

industry who will force us into action.

to changes in the industry. Bartkowiak

We need to make decisions on our

affirms how vital it is to embrace the

own and try to be the leaders by

latest technology or risk being over-

assuming the risk of wrong decisions.

taken by its rivals.

Technology becomes devalued very

“It’s of key importance to observe the

quickly, so we need to fully maximise

changes happening by using technol-

its potential. I believe that passive

ogy in different aspects of our lives. We

waiting is the worst thing one can do.”

FORMING KEY PARTNERSHIPS During the last two years, INEA and Orange Poland signed agreements on the wholesale access to its infrastructure in the LLU and BSA model. And this is just the beginning of INEA’s open network strategy. Bartkowiak believes the contract with Orange has been one of the company’s biggest achievements. “From the perspective of the open network model development, the contract with Orange Poland was a significant achievement. We provided the company with our infrastructure for the sale of retail services. From the

“As an infrastructure operator, we are one of the only operators in Europe that actively opens the network we use as a services provider to other telecommunications operators” — Michał Bartkowiak, Management Board Member and COO of INEA

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€100mn Approximate revenue

1994

Year founded

820

Approximate number of employees

perspective of the Polish market, it was

however, Bartkowiak points out what

the first contract of its type and has

INEA requires from its business

become an inspiration for others to

relationships. “You meet good partners,

follow. From our point of view, this

just like friends, in difficult situations.

collaboration confirmed the validity of

Similar to everyone in our industry, we

the previously selected direction for

are working with numerous partners

the development of our company.”

in the market. Starting from suppliers

In order to stand a greater chance of

of equipment and materials, through

success, the majority of companies opt

developers of business solutions

to form partnerships to drive profit,

or software, to our closest partners,

The part of the team (from left): Krzysztof Kwiatkowski – responsible for network construction and maintenance, Marta Myszkowska – responsible for customer care quality, Tomasz Zmyślny – Head of Marketing & PR, Alicja Kakała-Szadkowska - Procurement Manager, Maciej Piechociński – Head of Sales, Krystyna Sawczuk – Head of HR and Krzysztof Marciniak – Head of IT

technical and commercial partners, who

work on the continuous improvement

work in the field. Without their knowl-

of this co-operation.”

edge, experience, dynamic operations,

In February 2018, Macquarie Euro-

development or innovation, it would be

pean Infrastructure Fund 5 acquired

impossible,” he says. “These types of

a majority stake in INEA which will

relations are very precious and they

support continued development and

require mutual trust, understanding

growth. “Growth in telecommunication

and good communication. It’s difficult

requires significant capital expenditure.

to sustain such relations; however, we

You can have most wonderful ideas but

don’t surrender and we endeavor to

without relevant financial back-up, their w w w. in ea . p l

“It’s of key importance to observe the changes happening by using technology in different aspects of our lives. We have to examine how our expectations of the products or services that we are using is changing. It’s important to observe the entire spectrum of innovations taking place in the world” — Michał Bartkowiak, Management Board Member and COO of INEA

implementation will be impossible,” affirms Bartkowiak. “We are glad that it is Macquarie that we have the opportunity to work with. Due to the fact that we share the same vision of INEA development, I am convinced that the combination of these two elements guarantees development and growth.”

FUTURE PLANS With INEA demonstrating an ambition to continue to grow despite a changing

believes that INEA remains determined to build on its success through the implementation of new projects to enhance the firm’s existing telecommunication infrastructure. “We remain focused on the construction of an open optic-fibre infrastructure. Having won over 20 competitions under the Operating Programme Digital Poland, we are also implementing projects consisting of the expansion of the existing telecommunication infrastructure and reconstruction of the existing one to FTTH standard,” he says. “As a result of those projects, we will reach about 700,000 more households located in rural areas with our network. All the schools located on the territory of planned investments will be connected market, Bartkowiak affirms how key it

to the network and these are areas that

is that the company expands on an

are digitally excluded, where broadband

ongoing basis. “We are continuously

services are unavailable today. The

searching for new areas to grow.

residents of those areas will have access

Sometimes, we joke that on the day

to modern digital services. The method

when we announce the launch of a new

of teaching, handling affairs with

product, we are already working on

authorities or benefiting from entertain-

another one. That was precisely the

ment will change and this will completely

case with 10 Gb/s service started this

transform the image of those towns.”

year. It’s vital we act quickly because of the way the market is changing.” Looking to the future, Bartkowiak w w w. in ea . p l

INEA Wysogotowo ul. Wierzbowa 84, PrzeĹşmierowo, Poland. 62-081, PL www.inea.pl