Vodafone has filed a lawsuit against KPN for alleged anticompetitive behaviour, declaring it is seeking €115 million in damages from the Dutch company.

Vodafone said in a statement that its roll-out of a combined package including television services in the Netherlands had been delayed by three years as KPN, the former Dutch telecoms monopoly, failed to make its networks available.

KPN spokesman Stijn Wesselink said the company had not yet received a copy of Vodafone’s complaint, but it believes the British company’s portrayal of events is not accurate. “We have a professional relationship,” he said.

The launch of the lawsuit follows remarks last month by Vodafone Chief Executive Vittorio Colao, who said European competition authorities should look at whether former state telecom companies around Europe were limiting access to their networks and attempting to create what he called new monopolies.

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