The Second Room plays with the idea of KPN, Vodafone and T-Mobile in the coming frequentieveilingen due to the alleged price-fixing. A exclusion would be the end for the current telco’s mean.
The political parties in the house want a debate with minister of Economic Affairs Maxime Verhagen to the consequences to discuss the investigation by the Dutch competition Authority. Despite the fact that a judgment of the NMa is still one and a half to two years, can wait, believe the Members of the chamber that there is plenty to discuss.
D66 Mp Kees Verhoeven wants the minister to know how to use the auction sees with the three defendant providers KPN, Vodafone and T-Mobile. “We now have three parties that are suspected of price fixing,” says Verhoeven against Tweakers.net. “Perhaps they have money earned through these agreements, that the auction can use for the purchase of frequencies. I want to know how the minister there against them, look.”
Verhoeven seems to not be dismissive towards the idea of KPN, Vodafone and T-Mobile to exclude frequentieveilingen if they be found guilty of price-fixing. That idea comes from PVV Mp Jhim van Bemmel, writes news agency ANP. “We need to think carefully how we handle it.”
An exclusion frequentieveilingen is a far-reaching measure. Because all frequencies coming years, under the hammer, would the exclusion of the auctions mean that KPN, Vodafone or T-Mobile in a few years no one more. Also the frequencies they now use gsm and 3g will be next years re-auctioned.
However, there is a problem: the next frequentieveiling is scheduled for the spring of 2012, probably long before the NMa have a judgment pronounced on the alleged price fixing. Verhoeven finds it undesirable for the auction to be postponed. “We have a quick competition on the telecom market. We must stay in balance or we have the auction to delay because of this case.”
The Room would also see whether it is possible that space is created for a fourth telecoms provider. “The events of Tuesday made it clear that there is a need for much more competition. Whether there are price agreements are made or not, the telecom market is not functioning well. That all of the providers this summer, within a month after the other new tariffs will be introduced, shows that well.”
The NMa suspects that the providers of price-fixing agreements, but the authority stressed that nothing has yet been proven. “The fact that the NMa these visits, is not to say that the mobile operators in question have been found guilty of anticompetitive behaviour, and says nothing about the possible outcome of the investigation,” said the NMa in a statement.
The NMa fell Tuesday morning in at the KPN, Vodafone and T-Mobile, because the providers are suspected of agreements have been made about prices for mobile calls and internet in the Netherlands. The invasion happened on the basis of statements of two anonymous whistleblowers.
One of those whistleblowers is a former managing director. He explains: “In the above function I have price agreements between the telecommunications company KPN, Vodafone, and T-Mobile observed. (…) There are very few people who are familiar with the details of the price fixing (…). I have with miscellaneous of them directly worked.” The other whistleblower, a member of the board that is still in function, tells us about a consultation on the prices of mobile internet for the prepaid market. “The directors have carried out consultation on the optimal price for mobile internet for prepaid. In this consultation were the potential prizes are exchanged for the mobile internet. A few months later I noticed that the prices have indeed been introduced.”