The Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority of the Netherlands (OPTA) has put KPN, the nation’s largest telecommunications provider, under immediate close supervision.
In a short statement, the authority said the move reflects its…
The Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority of the Netherlands (OPTA) has put KPN, the nation’s largest telecommunications provider, under immediate close supervision.
In a short statement, the authority said the move reflects its suspicion that KPN is violating OPTA legislation to the detriment of consumers and/or competitors.
“The college has made this decision because of behaviours and violations of the telecommunications agency,” the statement read.
OPTA declined to comment further on the nature and scope of the alleged infringements because of ongoing legal proceedings.
KPN has since released a statement of its own relaying its surprise at OPTA’s announcement.
“KPN is aware of a couple of cases which are currently being dealt with to which the Opta announcement may be related,” it stated. “KPN is firmly of the opinion that it has acted in compliance with relevant laws and regulation in these cases, which are the subject of a number of legal proceedings.”
KPN is one of several Netherlands mobile phone operators currently under investigation by NMA, the country’s antitrust authority, for possible price-fixing.
However, an OPTA spokeswoman told Reuters the authority’s decision to place KPN under close suspicion was “completely separate” from NMA’s actions.
In its statement, OPTA referred back to 2005, when it fined KPN €17m (US$22.3m) for offering “improper” discounts to business customers.
