Orange Polska

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The company adopted the international Orange brand in 2005

The GSM network was previously known as Idea

The company is formally known as PTK Centertel, the brand name of its previous analog mobile network

Orange Polska is the brand name of Polish mobile phone network operator, PTK Centertel.

The company was founded in December 1991 to operate an analog (first-generation) network under the Centertel brand. It launched Idea, Poland's third GSM network, in 1998, operating on both the 900 and 1800-MHz bands from the beginning. Until 2001, when the analog network was switched off, Idea was known as Idea Centertel, and former analog customers were offered GSM contracts. Idea's slogan was Łączy Cię z ludźmi (Connects You with people).

Idea adopted the Orange brand name in 2005, although the operating company is still formally known as PTK Centertel. It, along with parent company Telekomunikacja Polska S.A., is controlled by France Télécom, which owns the worldwide mobile telephony operator Orange SA. The brand change took place all at once on 19 September 2005. The company sponsored a free concert in Warsaw by British musician Sting on 24 September 2005 for 150,000 of its clients to publicize the changeover.

The company also operates WLAN networks in Poland, and is phasing in a UMTS network. It retains POP, the name of its prepaid service from the Idea days, as a separate brand alongside Orange Go, the prepaid offer introduced with the new brand.

Orange Polska acquired its 10-millionth customer at the end of February, 2006.