A Deutsche Telekom spokesman declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

Europe's largest telecoms group said earlier this month it would cut its dividend for 2019, reflecting uncertainty over the outcome of a proposed U.S. mega-merger and following rival Vodafone as the industry grapples with the cost of building 5G networks.

T-Mobile Netherlands is - unlike other European units - a part of Telekom's Group Development unit and not seen as a core asset.

(Reporting by Thomas Seythal and Douglas Busvine in Berlin and Matthias Inverardi in Duesseldorf; Editing by Michelle Martin)