Norway’s cable operators have responded to a ruling from the country’s consumer ombudsman that the practice of bundling TV services with internet access is illegal.
Gry Nergård had given Canal Digital and Get until December 3 to respond to an assessment that could see the practice outlawed. It followed a complaint made in 2013 by the terrestrial platform GET.
The two operators strongly disagree with the assessment. Canal Digital Cable said it had not acted illegally, disputing that it was forcing customers to first buythrough its TV service. The Telenor-owned cablenet argued that alternative infrastructure was available.
Get too disputed the premise. The Danish owned operator said its TV packages were available to all comers; broadband was then an optional service.
According to Get, the ombudsman has not provided any satisfactory evidence as to why its offer might be illegal.
