Swedish Competition Authority claims 16 million euro in damage penalties from Telia Sonera
(from Hufvudstadsbladet, daily Swedish language newspaper in Helsinki, 22 December 2004)
The Swedish Competition Authority claims that Telia Sonera should pay 144 million Swedish crowns (16 million euro) in competition damage penalties as the company has abused its dominating position in broadband services via the telephone network, so called ADSL-services.
The Competition Authority delivered its praecipe (claim for summons) to the Stockholm municipal court yesterday.
Telia Sonera has according to the Competition Authority limited the competition on the market for broadband services.
"Abuse of dominating position is a serious infringement of the competition rules", says director general Claes Norgren in a press release.
Telia Sonera rejects the claims by the Competition Authority. "The pricing in question has been businesslike and in line with valid competition rules" the company writes in a press release.
Comment: Telia-Sonera is a major telecommunications player on the Nordic market, with the Swedish and Finnish government as main shareholders controlling 45.3% and 19.1% of the shares, respectively.