YOU ARE AT:EMEAEMEA: TeliaSonera, Telenor to merge Denmark operations

EMEA: TeliaSonera, Telenor to merge Denmark operations

TeliaSonera and Telenor today announced they will merge their operations in Denmark. The two Nordic operators will each own 50% of the joint venture, and the combined company will command 40% of the Danish mobile market with 3.5 million subscribers and expected annual revenues of more than 9 billion Danish kroner ($1.5 billion).

“Competition in Denmark is intense, and we face continued pressure on revenue growth and profitability, making consolidation inevitable,” said Kjell Morten Johnsen, the Telenor EVP in charge of the European region. “By combining the assets and customer bases of Telenor and TeliaSonera in Denmark, the joint venture will become a robust operator.”

Sweden’s TeliaSonera and Norway’s Telenor have been sharing a mobile network in Denmark since 2012. Through the merger, the two companies believe they can reach more than 800 million kroner ($133 million) in annual efficiency gains.

“We are making a necessary and natural move by forming a joint venture with Telenor building on the network partnership we already have with them,” said Robert Andersson who leads TeliaSonera’s European operations.

The deal is subject to the approval of the European Commission. A CEO has not yet been selected for the merged company, but a search is underway

More telecom news from EMEA:

EE installs new micro network for rural areas. The U.K. mobile operator this week announced it is employing a micro network technology to connect more than 1,500 rural communities over the next three years. Instead of building huge masts, EE will build micro networks that wirelessly connect small mobile antennas to macro sites without cabling.

Vodafone is reportedly considering merger with Liberty Global. Vodafone is reportedly analyzing a potential tie-up with Liberty Global, according to Bloomberg sources. The tie-up rumors follow confirmation that rival BT Group is in talks to buy either Telefónica’s O2 or EE, a joint venture owned by Deutsche Telekom and Orange. Vodafone is reportedly considering a number of options in reaction to BT’s acquisition moves. A Vodafone/Liberty Global merger could create a company worth more than $130 billion.

Ooredoo launches first commercial LTE-Advanced service in Qatar. Nokia Networks upgraded the operator’s LTE network with LTE-A carrier aggregation technology. Ooredoo’s new LTE-A services come with downlink data speeds of up to 225 megabits per second.

Altice is in exclusive negotiations to buy Oi’s Portugal Telecom assets. The multinational group owned by billionaire Paul Drahi recently announced it has entered into an exclusivity agreement with the Brazilian carrier Oi to purchase its Portuguese assets of Portugal telecom. Altice’s offer is valued at €7.4 billion ($9.13 billion).

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Photo copyright: deanpictures / 123RF Stock Photo

ABOUT AUTHOR

Sara Zaske
Sara Zaske
Contributor, [email protected] Sara Zaske covers European carrier news for RCR Wireless News from Berlin, Germany. She has more than ten years experience in communications. Prior to moving to Germany, she worked as the communications director for the Oregon State University Foundation. She is also a former reporter with the San Francisco Examiner and Independent, where she covered development, transportation and other issues in the City of San Francisco and San Mateo County. Follow her on Twitter @szaske