Newsletter | Competition Law in Norway | Norway imposes record fine on telecoms giant Telenor for abuse of dominance

The Norwegian Competition Authority´s representatives at the press conference 21 June, 2018: Project Manager Magnus Friis Reitan – Director General Lars Sørgard – Director Gjermund Nese

On 21 June 2018 the Norwegian Competition Authority (NCA) issued a decision imposing a fine of NOK 788 million (EUR 83 million) for abusing its dominant position in order to hinder the establishment of a third mobile network operator in Norway. This is the NCA’s first decision under the abuse of dominance provision in more than a decade and amounts to the largest fine ever imposed by the NCA.

Norway is one of the few countries in Europe to only have two mobile network operators with nationwide coverage: the national incumbent Telenor, and the Swedish incumbent Telia. Mobile service providers without their own network have to rent access to either Telenor’s or Telia’s network.