Wholesale charges are set to increase for the next market review period, reflecting a rise in input costs, interest rates and demands for network security
Regulation seeks to ensure that retail providers compete on equal terms
On 9 February 2026, the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (known locally as the KFST) published a consultation on wholesale commitments offered by five fibre network operators: Aura, BornFiber, EnergiFyn, Fibia and Norlys – which together account for over half of all fibre connections in Denmark. According to the KFST (which took over the role of independent telecoms regulator from the Danish Business Authority (DBA) in October 2025), there is only one fibre connection to a household or small business in many parts of the country. This gives a “fibre network company” control over which retail ISPs can rent access to its network, and what they must pay to do so. The KFST added that regulation of fibre operators therefore ensures that ISPs can compete on equal terms and that access charges do not exceed a price cap.
The KFST has considered six sets of proposed commitments, publishing five for market testing
Under the Telecommunications Act (and in line with EU directives), the KFST is required to undertake a review of the Danish market every five years. The current decisions cover the period up to the end of 2026, with the review for the upcoming period (2027-20231) due to be completed this year. Having analysed the competition problems in the market and identified areas in need of intervention, six operators considered to have a "strong market position” had the opportunity to propose commitments to the KFST. The competition authority stated that it has since engaged in dialogue with the relevant operators, resulting in a number of changes compared to the original submissions. Five sets of draft (and therefore not yet legally binding) wholesale commitments have now been released for market testing, each of which outline the conditions for ISPs’ access to fibre networks. The KFST has received a sixth submission – reportedly from TDC NET – but does not yet consider that it would resolve the competition issues stemming from that operator’s market power.
Wholesale price caps are poised to increase as a result of higher costs, including efforts to make networks secure
Specifically, the drafts include caps for the wholesale access prices that fibre operators may charge over the 2027-2031 period. The caps are somewhat higher than those applied since 2021, primarily as a result of three factors:
The general price increases that have led to higher prices for equipment used in fibre networks;
The permitted return on invested capital in telecoms networks increases as a result of the rise in interest rates; and
It must be possible to cover any higher costs to secure fibre networks against, for example, cyber attacks.
The KFST stated that price caps have been calculated to reflect the costs of expanding and operating telecoms networks in Denmark, adding that they are not uniform across each operator, whose costs partly depend on the population density within their respective coverage areas.
