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EC approves Telenet takeover of Base
2016-02-04 12:11:00| Telecompaper Headlines
(Telecompaper) The European Commission has approved the sale of Belgian mobile operator Base by KPN to Telenet, the Belgian cable operator controlled by Liberty Global. The clearance takes account of concessions offered by Telenet to ensure competition from MVNOs on the Belgian market. Base is Belgium's smallest mobile operator, but served as a challenger on the market with its relatively low-price offers. Telenet is already the country's largest MVNO. "Without effective commitments, a merger of these two dynamic players would have significantly reduced competition, with a risk of higher prices and less choice and innovation for Belgian mobile consumers," the EC said. To allay these concerns, Base agreed to transfer two of the country's largest MVNOs, Mobile Vikings and Jim Mobile, to the company Medialaan, which will use this to develop into a full MVNO and stronger competitor on the mobile market. Liberty Global also agreed preferred conditions for Medialaan to continue using Base's network.
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Category:Telecommunications