Holland's KPN has bought the UK part of its bankrupt data services providing joint venture KPNQwest. The main asset is a 500km UK fibre network that connects London with Paris and Amsterdam.

KPN, which had already bought the Dutch and German parts of KPNQwest's network, is still in talks to buy assets in Belgium, as well as an undersea link connecting Europe with the US.

KPN intends to cut the number of its divisions from three to two by merging the Fixed Network and Business Solutions divisions, leaving the mobile and fixed divisions.