According to Dutch business publication FD the operator instead opted to stand by its original proposal following a behind closed doors meeting with EC competition authorities. Meanwhile, Reuters reported Tele2 president and CEO Anders Nilsson told an investor conference its unit in the Netherlands was no longer a viable standalone business – ramping pressure on regulators to wave through the proposal to merge the operation with rival T-Mobile Netherlands. The deal, worth €190 million, would see the third and fourth largest operators in the Dutch market combine – a move the two said would create a stronger competitor to larger rivals KPN and VodafoneZiggo. GSMA Intelligence figures for Q3 put KPN as the market's largest player by mobile connections, with a 49 per cent share. VodafoneZiggo holds a 30 per cent share with the remainder split between local units of T-Mobile and Tele2.