The total overdue amount owed by Poles aged between 18 and 25 to mobile phone companies grew from PLN 4.6 million [EUR 1.8 mn, USD 1.21 mn] in 2014 to PLN 147 million this year, Rzeczpospolita daily reported, citing the National Debt Register.
Adam Łącki, CEO of the National Debt Register, said: “An expensive new smartphone is a status symbol in many circles, and for many people a long-term contract with an operator is a ticket to owning such a device.”
However, later they find it hard to settle their phone bills on a regular basis, he added.
Poles spend an average of PLN 49.90 a month on phone bills, which is half the European average, according to Eurostat.
The list of telecommunications debtors includes 360,000 individual customers and 23,000 companies. They owe a combined PLN 1.14 billion to operators.
(aba/gs)
Source: Rzeczpospolita