Vodafone sues KPN for £83m for “anti-competitive” behaviour
Vodafone has filed a lawsuit against KPN for alleged anti-competitive behaviour, seeking €115m (£83m) in damages from the leading Dutch telco firm.
Vodafone claims that its launch of combined TV, broadband and telephone services was delayed for three years, due to the former state monopoly not supplying the necessary technology.
Rob Shuter, chief executive of Vodafone Netherlands, said that KPN had “seriously abused its dominant position”:
Markets cannot function without effective competition. Our challenge is that Vodafone relies on its biggest competitor – the incumbent operator – as a supplier in order to provide Dutch consumers with a competitive choice.
KPN said to news agency Reuters that it had yet to receive a copy of Vodafone’s complaint against the firm, but questioned the accuracy of Vodafone’s version of events.
Vodafone’s chief executive Vittorio Colao recently clashed with BT over similar complaints.
Attacking the “re-monopolisation” of the telecoms market, Colao wants the European Competition Authority to probe how former telecoms monopolies are using their networks today.