Norlys opens up more fibre to multiple providers

Danish utility group Norlys has opened up the fibre network in the cities of Randers and Hobro in North-East Jutland following its acquisition of the networks covering the area from Verdo earlier this year.

According to Norlys, the citizens of Randers and Hobro can now chose between up to 12 internet and TV service providers with whom Norly has agreements in place covering the fibre network covering the two cities.

“We took over the fibre network in Randers and Hobro on 1 June, and like the rest of Norlys’ fibre area, the residents of Randers and Hobro now have freedom of choice. We are happy that citizens now have more providers to choose from,” said Torben Poulsen, director of Norlys Fibernet.

Norly has also said it plans to extend the network in the area to provide additional coverage to 5,000 new homes, an uplift of around a fifth on the current coverage.

“Right after the summer holidays, we will start expanding the fibre network. A total of 5,000 new households in Randers and Hobro will have access to a fibre network in 2022. That is 20% more than today in that area,” said Poulsen.

Norlys acquired the networks in the area from energy group Verdo in June, having struck an agreement to make the acquisition last year. The pair were already close collaborators in proviing services to the 26,000 homes covered.

Norlys is continuing to open multiple networks from local providers to third party pdroviders, including, most recently, Midtjylland’s Elektricitetsforsynings Selskab in the Since 2007, MES has established fiber networks in the areas around Brande, Give, Ejstrupholm, Sdr. Omme and Filskov.

In June the Danish competition regulator gave a green light to Norlys to sell a 35% stake in Norlys Tele Service, the fibre unit, to Dutch pension investor PGGM and the French energy group EDF’s investment unit EDF Invest

Separately, Norlys’ telecom service arm Stofa announced in June that it was phasing out its TV set-top boxes and miving to a purely app-based approach to TV delivery, with Apple TV and Chromecast as its preferred solutions.