What Kvantel does

Kvantel, now operating under the GlobalConnect brand following a 2013 carve-out from Hafslund Telekom's network services unit, is a leading fiber-based data communications and data center provider headquartered in Fornebu, Oslo, Norway. It owns and operates 235,000 kilometers of fiber and 35,000 square meters of secure data centers across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and northern Germany, and carries approximately 50% of all Nordic data traffic. The business serves roughly 30,000 named customers and exceeds EUR 500 million in annual revenue, operating as a private company under EQT Infrastructure ownership since May 2018. Its legal entity is GlobalConnect AS, registered in Norway (organization number 890 164 072).

Name

Kvantel

Legal name

GlobalConnect AS

Website

https://globalconnect.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kvantel (now operating as GlobalConnect) is a Nordic fiber-based data communications and data center provider operating 235,000 km of owned fiber and 35,000 sqm of data centers across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and northern Germany, serving approximately 30,000 B2B and B2C customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications - Fiber Network and Data Center Services

NAICS

Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Operators (HDAIACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC), Fiber-to-the-Premises/Building (FTTP/FTTB) Operators (HDAIACAC)

Keywords

• Fiber broadband services
• Enterprise network solutions
• Data center colocation
• Managed security services
• Telephony and SD-WAN

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fiber Broadband Subscription: Monthly subscription fees for fiber internet services ranging from 100Mbps to 10,000Mbps, with pricing from 749 NOK to 2,299 NOK per month. Includes both own network and Via_Fiber offerings.
2. Business Network Solutions: Enterprise solutions including MPLS, SD-WAN, Managed LAN, Dark Fiber, and managed services for businesses of all sizes
3. TV Services: Partnership-based TV services where customers choose from multiple TV providers, with separate billing from the TV provider
4. Security Services: SOC, SafeSurf, Managed Firewall, and DDoS Protection subscription services
5. WiFi Equipment: WiFi Premium and WiFi Basic services with monthly fees and one-time setup costs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kvantel (operating as GlobalConnect AS) sells fiber-based data communications and data center services across the Nordics. For consumers it delivers symmetric fiber broadband up to 10 Gbps, IPTV via partner selection, WiFi, and home gateways. For enterprises it provides managed networking (MPLS, SD-WAN, Managed LAN & WiFi, SmartFiber, Dark Fiber), security (SOC, Managed Firewall, DDoS Protection, SafeSurf), colocation in 35,000 sqm of data centers, and telephony (SmartTeams, SIP trunk, Contact Center/CCaaS), consolidated through the SmartConnect platform.

Product overview

GlobalConnect is Norway's fastest-growing fiber supplier and a leading provider of fiber-based data communications and data centers in Northern Europe. The company operates a platform-plus-modules architecture offering distinct product lines for consumer (B2C) and business (B2B) markets. Consumer services include fiber broadband (100/100 to 10,000/10,000 Mbps via own network, plus Via_Fiber options at 75/75 to 1000/1000 over third-party networks), TV services via IPTV partners, and WiFi equipment (Zyxel WX5600, Icotera i3560). Business offerings center on the SmartConnect platform—a one-stop-shop consolidating network solutions (MPLS, SmartFiber, SD-WAN, Managed LAN & WiFi, Dark Fiber, Fiber), security services (SOC, SafeSurf, Managed Firewall, DDoS Protection), cloud services (Colocation), and telephony solutions (SmartTeams, SIP trunk, Contact Center/CCaaS). Customer-facing portals include Min Side for consumers and Kundeportal/Fiberweb for business customers. The company owns and operates over 235,000 kilometers of fiber and 35,000 square meters of data centers across Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and northern Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fiber Broadband (Residential) Symmetric fiber broadband service for Norwegian households delivered over GlobalConnect's own fiber network, with symmetrical speed tiers from 100/100 Mbps to 10,000/10,000 Mbps. Targeted at residential consumers who need reliable high-speed connectivity for gaming, streaming, multi-device households, and remote work.
• Via_Fiber (Residential Broadband over Third-Party Networks) Residential fiber broadband delivered over third-party fiber networks via GlobalConnect's reseller model, offering 75/75, 300/300, and 1000/1000 Mbps symmetric speeds. Targeted at Norwegian households in areas not directly covered by GlobalConnect's own fiber network.
• TV Services (IPTV via Partner Network) IPTV television services delivered over GlobalConnect's fiber connection, where customers independently select their TV provider from partner options with separate billing from the TV provider. Targeted at Norwegian households seeking flexibility in TV content choice rather than bundled lock-in.
• MPLS Multiprotocol Label Switching service providing secure, reliable enterprise network connectivity across multiple business sites. Targeted at organizations requiring private WAN connectivity between offices and data centers.
• SmartFiber Intelligent fiber connectivity solution for businesses requiring flexible and scalable network connections. Targeted at enterprises needing elastic, managed fiber capacity.
• SD-WAN Software-Defined Wide Area Network solution enabling secure, encrypted connections between workplaces and cloud services with centralized management. Targeted at enterprises replacing or augmenting traditional MPLS with software-defined networking.
• Managed LAN & WiFi Fully managed local area network and wireless LAN service including monitoring, maintenance, and security for business premises. Targeted at multi-site enterprises that need consistent local networking without in-house management burden.
• Mørk fiber (Dark Fiber) Dark fiber connectivity providing exclusive, dedicated fiber infrastructure for enterprises with extreme bandwidth requirements. Targeted at carriers and large enterprises needing fully private, unlit fiber pairs.
• Fiber (Business) Dedicated fiber connectivity for businesses providing fast, stable, and reliable internet connection with guaranteed bandwidth. Targeted at enterprises that need primary internet connectivity with SLAs.
• SOC (Security Operations Center) Security Operations Center service providing continuous monitoring, threat detection, and incident response through Managed Detection & Response (MDR) and Incident Response Service (IRS). Targeted at enterprises that need outsourced 24/7 security monitoring and response.
• SafeSurf Internet security service protecting users from malicious websites and online threats, delivered as a managed DNS/web filtering layer on the GlobalConnect network. Targeted at organizations needing to block dangerous web content at the network edge.
• Managed Firewall Fully managed firewall service providing network security, threat protection, and traffic filtering for business networks. Targeted at enterprises that want perimeter security without operating the appliance in-house.
• DDoS Protection Distributed Denial of Service attack protection service safeguarding business infrastructure from volumetric and application-layer attacks. Targeted at internet-facing businesses that need protection against large-scale denial-of-service incidents.
• Colocation Data center colocation services providing secure physical space, power, and connectivity for business IT infrastructure across 35,000 sqm of owned data centers in the Nordics and northern Germany. Targeted at enterprises, carriers, and cloud providers needing Nordic Tier-equivalent data center capacity.
• SmartTeams Unified communications and team collaboration platform for business telephony and messaging. Targeted at organizations modernizing legacy PBX with cloud-based team communications.
• SIP Trunk Session Initiation Protocol trunking service enabling IP-based voice connectivity for business telephone systems. Targeted at enterprises running on-premise PBX that need IP-carrier voice services.
• Kontaktsenter (CCaaS) Contact Center as a Service solution providing cloud-based customer service and call center capabilities. Targeted at organizations operating or outsourcing customer support, sales, or service desks.
• SmartConnect Comprehensive one-stop-shop platform consolidating business network products (MPLS, SmartFiber, SD-WAN, Managed LAN & WiFi, Dark Fiber, Fiber) plus security (SOC, firewall, DDoS) and cloud/colocation under a single managed provider relationship for multi-site Nordic enterprises.
• Zyxel AM3100 Home Gateway Home gateway / customer premises equipment (CPE) for fiber broadband connectivity, supplied for GlobalConnect's own fiber network and Via_Fiber services. Targeted at residential subscribers needing the on-premises router.
• Zyxel AX7501 10 Gbps Home Gateway High-performance 10 Gbps home gateway supporting GlobalConnect's ultra-fast fiber connections up to 10 Gbit/s. Targeted at residential power users subscribing to the highest speed tiers.
• Zyxel WX5600 WiFi 6 Router WiFi 6 wireless router for premium whole-home wireless coverage with mesh networking support, managed via MPro Mesh app. Targeted at households needing extended wireless reach.
• Icotera i3560 WiFi 6 Gateway WiFi 6 wireless gateway providing premium whole-home coverage with mesh capabilities for extended network reach. Targeted at households on GlobalConnect fiber and Via_Fiber needing combined fiber + WiFi 6 premises equipment.
• Zyxel EX5401 Home Gateway Home gateway with built-in WiFi for combined fiber and wireless connectivity. Targeted at residential subscribers wanting an integrated fiber + WiFi premises device.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced restaurant production time from 20-25 minutes to 8-10 minutes through optimized network infrastructure

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Telia Company: Major Nordic and Baltic incumbent operator with fixed broadband, mobile, and enterprise services. Competes directly with GlobalConnect in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland on consumer fiber and B2B network/security offerings.
• Cogent Communications: Global Tier-1 IP transit and fiber operator providing wholesale and enterprise connectivity. Comparable in being a scaled, asset-heavy fiber operator serving enterprise and carrier markets with a recurring, infrastructure-based revenue model.
• Telenor: Largest incumbent telecom operator across the Nordics, providing fixed and mobile broadband, TV, and enterprise services. Direct competitor to GlobalConnect in Norwegian consumer fiber and enterprise connectivity, with broader scope including mobile and global operations.
• NBN Co (Australia): Australian wholesale open-access fiber and broadband infrastructure operator. Comparable as a large-scale, infrastructure-backed national fiber wholesaler serving multiple retail ISPs, with similar capital-intensive asset profile and recurring wholesale revenue model.
• TDC NET (Denmark): Danish incumbent fixed and mobile operator with nationwide fiber and copper infrastructure. Directly comparable as a Nordic fiber network operator competing for the same enterprise and consumer segments as GlobalConnect in Denmark.

Direct peers

• Zayo Group: PE-backed (EQT) fiber and bandwidth infrastructure provider in North America and Europe offering dark fiber, wavelength, IP, and managed services. Highly comparable business model and EQT sponsorship profile, competing for enterprise and carrier customers with extensive owned fiber.
• Arelion (formerly Telia Carrier): Wholesale fiber, IP, and cloud-connectivity carrier operating across Europe and globally. Comparable as a Nordic-headquartered fiber/wholesale operator with significant backbone assets, competing for the same enterprise and carrier customers.
• Bredband2: Swedish fiber and broadband provider serving both consumers and businesses, with both own-network and third-party fiber models. Closely comparable to GlobalConnect in product mix, pricing structure, and Nordic geographic footprint.
• Deutsche Glasfaser: German fiber-to-the-home operator focused on rural and suburban deployments, with growing enterprise services. A direct comparable as a fiber-only challenger in northern Germany where GlobalConnect also operates, with similar PE-backed growth-investor profile.
• Lyse (Altibox): Norwegian energy and fiber operator that owns the Altibox fiber brand, providing consumer and enterprise broadband across Norway. Direct competitor in Norwegian B2C and B2B fiber, with a similar partnership model with housing cooperatives.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kvantel-as

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kvantel