Structural commitments will minimise the potential consumer impact of a deal between the former incumbent and a smaller, competing fibre network
Telenor and GlobalConnect notified the proposed acquisition in November 2025
On 8 June 2026, the Norwegian competition authority – Konkurransetilsynet – announced that it had cleared the proposed Telenor/GlobalConnect transaction, subject to conditions. Telenor and GlobalConnect currently supply broadband services to residential customers and housing associations in many parts of the country where they are close competitors. In November 2025, the parties notified the NOK6bn (£473m) deal to Konkurransetilsynet, which had a statutory 25-day window to consider whether or not to open a formal merger investigation. The competition authority subsequently determined that there was need for further examination of the acquisition, launching a review in December of that year. It stated that there was a risk that competition in the market for broadband services could deteriorate if Telenor was allowed to acquire GlobalConnect’s consumer business (of 140,000 customers), potentially leading to higher prices and less choice for end users, while making it more difficult for other operators to gain access to Telenor’s infrastructure.
Konkurransetilsynet’s provisional view was that deal could reduce choice and increase prices for consumers
In March 2026, Konkurransetilsynet moved to issue a statement of objections, notifying the parties that it might intervene against the planned acquisition. According to the authority’s preliminary assessment, the transaction would mean that consumers who can currently choose between broadband from Telenor and GlobalConnect would have fewer options, with a weakened level of competition likely to result in more expensive and lower quality services for many end users. During the review process, the parties proposed a number of remedies packages, which Konkurransetilsynet assessed to decide if they would be sufficient as to safeguard consumers against a prospective reduction in competition – particularly in areas such as Northern Norway, where the parties compete most closely. While the parties’ initial proposals were considered inadequate to protect consumers from the negative effects of the acquisition, the authority has concluded that the final set of commitments (submitted on 1 June 2026) are sufficient to address its concerns.
The parties must divest customers and fibre infrastructure in areas where they currently compete
Konkurransetilsynet has therefore approved the transaction subject to the commitments proposed by the parties, which have three dimensions:
The divestment of GlobalConnect’s fibre infrastructure, together with 6,000 associated customers, in areas where both parties have deployed fibre networks;
GlobalConnect’s network must be opened up for wholesale access to competing fibre providers; and
The divestment to a rival operator of GlobalConnect’s 9,000 customers that rely on Telenor’s fibre for their broadband services.
The competition authority’s clearance is conditional on the divestment of customers and infrastructure being fulfilled, which will require, among other things, that Konkurransetilsynet assesses and approves suitable remedy takers (i.e. acquirers of the relevant assets). While Telenor disagreed that commitments were necessary in the first place, it now expects the transaction to close in autumn 2026. The former incumbent is not intending to wait, however, for the completion of the GlobalConnect deal before making its next move, having reached an agreement worth NOK2.5bn (£197m) to acquire Enivest – a regional fibre network with around 28,000 customers.
