Dutch incumbent operator KPN announced today that is has acquired debitel Nederland – the largest MVNO in the country – for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will see KPN take over the MVNO’s approximately 300,000 postpaid and 230,000 prepaid customers, which are already served via its own network as debitel’s MVNO host. The operator described the acquisition as “a further step in KPN’s strategy of strengthening its position in the Dutch mobile market” following its acquisition of rival Dutch mobile operator Telfort in 2005. The completion of the debitel Nederland acquisition is subject to approval by the Dutch competition authority, NMa.

According to its third-quarter figures – announced yesterday – KPN’s domestic mobile arm has a combined mobile connections base (consumer, business and wholesale) of 9.45 million. KPN said that net income for the quarter fell to €349 million from €355 million a year earlier – below analysts expectations of around €364 million – and also announced a €1 billion stock buyback programme. In a statement, CEO Ad Scheepbouwer predicted that the company would return to EBITDA growth next year after a ‘flat’ 2008, adding that KPN had seen no impact from the economic downturn to date.