The KKV has opened a special investigation to determine whether combining two of the country’s five national operators would harm competition
The Swedish Competition Authority has announced its decision to investigate Telia’s planned acquisition of Bredband2
On 17 October 2025, the Swedish Competition Authority (Konkurrensverket, or KKV) launched a “special investigation” into Telia’s planned acquisition of Bredband2, which the former incumbent notified to it on 12 September 2025. The KKV then had 25 working days to decide whether to review the deal or let it proceed without action. There are a large number of fibre broadband providers in Sweden, many of whom operate in certain regions or cities. The five largest players, which includes Telia and Bredband2, operate nationally and together account for the majority of retail connections. Specifically, Telia remains the largest supplier of fibre broadband services in the country, with Bredband2 third by subscribers and fifth in terms of revenue. Although both Telia and Bredband2 offer fixed, mobile and streaming services, the KKV’s investigation has so far focused more on fixed broadband, particularly fibre, where the parties’ services most overlap.
The KKV’s initial analysis has not yet led to any definitive conclusions about the proposed deal’s impact on competition
The KKV has already initiated investigative measures into the proposed acquisition, such as obtaining information on current fibre market conditions as well as seeking opinions on the transaction from competing operators and from customers of both Telia and Bredband2. In parallel, the authority has been in contact with the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS), the country’s communications regulator, to understand its views. The KKV has also analysed internal documents from the merging parties and has collected data on their existing group agreements (where a single ISP provides broadband to all households within an apartment building) and customers in open networks (that individually purchase services from an ISP that has access to the operators’ networks). Its aim is to assess the closeness of competition between Telia and Bredband2, noting that their combined market share would be significant in the various locations where their respective fibre networks overlap. Although the authority’s analysis has begun, it has not come to any conclusions on this matter yet, citing “shortcomings” in the data submitted by the parties.
Bredband2’s challenger status and Telia’s strong positions at the network and retail levels may be central to the investigation
From the authority’s information gathering, Bredband2 has been described as a significant challenger to the major operators, often acting as a “price squeezer”. Stakeholders have also reported that it has been difficult for smaller operators to grow their market share and that Bredband2 is one of the few that have managed to do so, eventually establishing a significant position in recent years. Competing operators, meanwhile, have raised concerns about Telia’s vertical integration in the broadband market due to its strong position in earlier stages of the value chain. The PTS already regulates for this, having designated Telia as having significant market power (SMP) and requiring it to provide unbundled access to its fibre network. Nevertheless, in light of the issues raised, the KKV could not say that the transaction will impede effective competition and stated that further analysis is needed in order to make a final decision. The authority now has three more months, until 17 January 2026, to reach its conclusion on whether the deal should proceed or be prohibited.
