In brief: European telcos team up to build Dutch network

NEWS Belgacom and Tele Danmark have announced plans to build a nationwide mobile phone network in the Netherlands. The telcos set up a jointly-owned holding company which will control an operating company based in The Hague. Nokia will provide network equipment, while Computer Sciences Corporation will handle the billing and IT systems. The move follows the companies' purchase of four GSM 1800 licences in February, and the more recent buying up of Dutch licences from Orange of the UK and Veba group of Germany.