KPN's BASE Unit Fails To Meet 3G License Requirement

AMSTERDAM -(Dow Jones)- Royal KPN's Belgian mobile phone company BASE failed to meet the required 30% coverage for its third-generation wireless technology services UMTS network, KPN spokesman Stephen Hufton said Thursday.

Under the terms of BASE's 3G license, the company was supposed to cover 30% of Belgium's population by the end of 2005.

KPN said the reason for not meeting the required coverage is that BASE experienced administrative delays in obtaining building permits for radio masts in Brussels, which were holding up the rollout of the network.

KPN's Hufton said the fact that BASE didn't meet the required coverage doesn't have consequences for the license. "The Belgian telecom regulator BIPT is fully aware of the situation and understands the problems we have had."

He added that the problems in Brussels have eased somewhat and that BASE continues with the rollout of the UMTS network.

Hufton said that BASE is also working on an enhanced data rates for global evolution, or EDGE, network upgrade of its mobile network in Belgium.

Company Web site: http://www.base.be

http://www.kpn.com

-By Stefan Simons, Dow Jones Newswires; 31 20 6260770; stefan.simons@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires "

Posted to the site on 26th January 2006