the Competition authority believes that Telenor has abused its market power by preventing competition in the Norwegian mobile network.
Norway is one of the very few countries in Europe with just two nationwide mobile networks, owned by Telenor and Telia. Actor ICE is working to roll out a third loan.
the Authority believes that Telenor was obligated to help Network Norway and Tele2 as they attempted to create a third mobile network from 2007. Instead, let the company obstacles in the way, the opinion of the audit.
Furthermore, they believe that the company has entered into exclusive agreements with mobile carriers to limit the ability for customers in a third mobile network.
– This applies to a large and important market for many consumers. Such a set is this serious, ” says konkurransedirektør Lars s ° rgaard to NRK.
four years ago, the competition authorities and the AUTHORITY of the swoop with Telenor. The goal was to find out whether Telenor had abused its market power.
Now has the authority investigated the case for four years. Preliminary result is that Telenor must pay a fine of almost a billion.
– the Largest fee ever
Norway has been one of the few countries in Europe that only have two nationwide mobile networks.
It restricts competition. The authority believes that a dominant company which Telenor has a particular responsibility to avoid restricted competition.
Konkurransedirektør Lars s ° rgaard, says to NRK that the fee that the Norwegian Competition authority has imposed Telenor is the støste here in the country ever, and that the case is serious.
– Abuse of dominance is an essential provision in the competition law, and it is to break the rule is alovrlig for companies, he says.
Have you ever given larger fees to other companies?
– No, this is the biggest fee that has been notified to a Norwegian company ever, ” says s ° rgaard.
Will not respond on whether Telenor has taken a lot of paid at the customers expense
Konkurransedirektøren says that the record-breaking fee together with the size and turnover in the mobile market, in addition to how long the relationship has lasted.
Telenor has operating margins up to 40 per cent. Is it so that the company has earned money on mobilkundenes expense?
– We will not go into a further discussion or evaluation now, now pending we Telenor’s response to our notice. This is a preliminary assessment that Telenor now will come with their comments to, ” says s ° rgaard.
– Surprised
Norwegian trade and industry minister Monica Maeland owner on behalf of the state, more than half of Telenor. But she will not comment on that company the state owns the majority of the is imposed the second largest fine by the competition authorities.
Photo: Kallestad, Gorm / NTB scanpix
Telenor writes in a press release that the company is surprised and disagree with the preliminary assessment from the audit.
Telenor is surprised by the alert, because the Asker and Bærum district court in 2012 took the position for the same type of appointment, and concluded that dobbeltroamingforbudet was legal according to competition rules, ” says Berit Svendsen, ceo of Telenor Norway.
She says that Telenor has waited for four years on the assessment from the Competition. The company has obtained a deadline to 1. march to respond to the alert.
the Alert gives the expression of a preliminary opinion from the Competition authority, as we shall carefully go through before we consider how we should respond, ” says Svendsen.
the Ministry of industry and minister Monica Mæland owner on behalf of the state 54 per cent of Telenor.
She does not want to answer questions from NRK in this case.
the Competition authority has an independent position, and enforces the competition law independently of the ministry of Trade and ministry of fisheries. Any questions must be directed to the authority or Telenor, writes Martine Røiseland in the Ministry in an email to NRK.
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