T-Mobile Acquires Orange NL
The Dutch mobile operator market is slimming down again as for the second time, one MNO buys another. This time, T-Mobile acquired Orange, leaving only 3 networks in the Dutch market.
This is the second major operator acquisition in two year as KPN had already bought competitor Telfort. Orange NL has been on the shelf of the Orange group for some time already as the operator that entered the market under the name of Dutchtone, never made any profits.
T-Mobile will pay € 1.3 billion for the acquisition. Though KPN left Telfort as a brand in the market. T-Mobile will fully convert Orange to T-Mobile and so, major job cuts will be made as in many cities, there are offices and shops of both T-Mobile and Orange. The only bit or Orange that will be left is the Orange Business Services branch.
Currently Orange has 2 million subs which is 12% of the market. T-Mobile already owns 15% of the market, meaning the new T-Mobile owns 27% of the market an 4.6 million subs.
Last year, internet service provider Wanadoo was rebranded to Orange, making it possible for Orange to work on both Internet and mobile services. T-Mobile doesn't know yet if they will use this branch to introduce the T-Online brand of if it will sell the internet branch off.
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