Tele2 Netherlands (formerly Versatel Telecom International N.V) was a brand name of telecommunications company T-Mobile Netherlands, operating on the Dutch and Belgian market. It sells fixed telephony, mobile telephony, broadband internet and digital TV products. On 5 September 2023, both the T-Mobile and Tele2 were rebranded altogether under one brand as Odido.
 | |
| Industry | Mobile telecommunications |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1997 |
| Successor | Odido |
| Headquarters | Diemen, Netherlands |
| Products | Mobile networks |
| Owner | T-Mobile Netherlands |
| Website | www |
History
editTele2 was founded as a European company in 1993 to offer telecom services to both domestic and business customers.[1] In 1997, Tele2 Netherlands introduced telecoms services to the Dutch market operating as an MVNO and competed with lower prices for mobile services.[1] Tele2 Netherlands was launched in 1997 and was the first Dutch company to provide IP-VPN network services.
In July 2005, the Dutch portion of Versatel was sold to Tele2 for 1.1 billion euro.[2] The European commission concluded that both Tele2 and Versatel lacked the marked power to foreclose competition and allowed the sale to close.[3] The German part, Versatel Deutschland (now 1&1 Versatel GmbH), was sold to Apax Partners who merged it with Tropolys, another German telecommunications company. In 2006, the name Versatel was replaced by Tele2.[4]
In 2009, Tele2 had nearly 400,000 subscribers.[1]
In 2013, Tele2 had a market share in the Netherlands of 7%.[5]
Acquisition by T-Mobile Netherlands
editIn December 2017, T-Mobile Netherlands announced its intent to buy Tele2 Netherlands from its Swedish parent Tele2 AB.[6] After a delay because of a European Commission investigation, the merger was completed in January 2019.[7] As part of the purchase, Tele2 AB acquired a 25% share in T-Mobile Netherlands.
On 7 January 2020, the legal entity Tele2 Netherlands Holding B.V. was merged into T-Mobile Netherlands, leaving Tele2 as a brand name of T-Mobile.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c Huet, Jean-Michel; Tcheng, Henri (2010). What If Telecoms - Were the Key to the Third Industrial Revolution?. Pearson Education France. p. 134. ISBN 978-2-7440-7501-8.
- ^ "Avontuur Versatel eindigt in Zweden" (in Dutch), de Volkskrant, 2005. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ Stoyanova, Milena (2008). Competition Problems in Liberalized Telecommunications: Regulatory Solutions to Promote Effective Competition. Kluwer Law International. p. 191. ISBN 978-90-411-2736-5.
- ^ "Naam Versatel verdwijnt voor consumenten" (in Dutch), de Volkskrant, 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ "Tele2 verdubbelt marktaandeel" (in Dutch), Emerce, 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- ^ Joris Jansen (15 December 2017). "T-Mobile Nederland neemt Tele2 over" [T-Mobile Netherlands acquires Tele2]. Tweakers (in Dutch).
- ^ Olaf van Miltenburg (2 January 2019). "T-Mobile en Tele2 ronden fusie af" [T-Mobile and Tele2 complete merger]. Tweakers (in Dutch).
- ^ "T-Mobile Netherlands simplifying legal structure in January". CommsUpdate. TeleGeography. 18 December 2019.
External links
edit- Tele2 (in Dutch), company website
- List of television channels on Tele2