en.Wedoany.com Reported - Norwegian telecom group Telenor's acquisition of fiber operator GlobalConnect (with 140,000 users) for 6 billion Norwegian kroner (approximately $635 million) has been approved by the Norwegian Competition Authority (NCA) after committing to divest about 15,000 users (11% of the customer base). This move aims to strengthen Telenor's position in Norway's fixed broadband market.
Under the approved remedy plan, GlobalConnect's fiber infrastructure in areas where its fiber network overlaps with Telenor's will be sold to other operators, involving approximately 6,000 users; simultaneously, about 9,000 GlobalConnect users served through Telenor's network will also be transferred to a competing internet service provider. Telenor has also committed to opening GlobalConnect's fiber network on a wholesale basis.
Telenor CEO Benedicte Schilbred Fasmer stated that the transaction is beneficial for customers and market development, and while the company believes the remedies were unnecessary, it is satisfied with the solution. According to data from telecom regulator Nkom, as of the end of 2025, Norway had nearly 2.5 million fixed broadband users, of which 1.9 million were fiber users. In terms of market ranking, Altibox leads with a 33.6% share, while Telenor holds 26.6%. After merging GlobalConnect's 125,000 users, Telenor's share would rise to approximately 31.6%; without any divestitures, its share would have been 32.2%, still insufficient to surpass Altibox. Even without any remedies, the combined market share of Altibox and Telenor remains below two-thirds of the total market.
NCA Department Director Gjermund Nese stated that the authority had previously feared the acquisition would weaken competition and lead to higher broadband prices, but the proposals put forward by the two companies have alleviated these concerns. The NCA still needs to approve the proposed buyer. Telenor expects the transaction to be finalized this autumn.
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