Brussels – The European Union will support Tele2 AB in the rollout of high-speed mobile internet in Sweden and the Netherlands with a 125 million euros loan from the European Investment Bank (Eib). The loan will be guaranteed under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (Efsi), the heart of the Investment Plan for Europe, in which the Eib is the strategic partner of the European Commission. Tele2 will use the loan for the expansion and capacity increase of the 4G mobile networks in both countries.
In Sweden, the plan intends to increase the geographical coverage of 4G, leading to near-complete coverage of the entire population by 2019. In the Netherlands, the project aims to increase the outdoor coverage to nearly 100% by 2018 and to further increase indoor coverage in densely populated areas. Here, the promoter is moving from being a virtual operator with no network to the first pure 4G mobile operator in the country.
On monday the European Commission cleared unconditionally the proposed acquisition of the telecommunications provider Tdc Sweden by Tele2. The Commission concluded that the transaction would raise no competition concerns, in particular because the companies’ activities are largely complementary. The transaction was notified to the Commission on 2 September 2016.
