France mulls smartphone tax to fund arts
A plan has been mooted in France which would see a new tax introduced on smartphones, tablets and other internet-connected devices in order to raise money to fund French art, films and music.According...
View ArticleFrench operators report mixed fortunes
Three of the four main mobile players in the French market reported their results this week, with the results of low-cost new entrant Free Mobile contrasting with those of established players SFR and...
View ArticleFrench competition body probing app store market
France’s Competition Authority is investigating potential anticompetitive practices in the mobile app store market, according to French publication BFM Business.Bruno Lasserre, the regulator’s...
View ArticleBouygues sues Orange, SFR for €1.44B
French number-three operator Bouygues Telecom has sued its larger competitors Orange and SFR for €1.44 billion in compensation for alleged anticompetitive behaviour, reports French publication...
View ArticleSFR outlines 4G roadmap as price cuts hit revenue
SFR, the French number-two operator, outlined its 4G rollout plans, as it reported reduced revenue for the first half of 2013.The business is currently expanding its LTE network coverage with the aim...
View ArticleFrench smartphone levy unlikely until 2015 — report
The French government will delay the potential introduction of a tax on new smartphones and connected devices until 2015, reports Le Monde.Aurélie Filippetti, minister of culture and communications, is...
View ArticleIliad seeks to join French network sharing plan
Iliad, the company behind the newest operator in France, Free Mobile, is keen to join the network sharing plan of rivals SFR and Bouygues Telecom, according to a letter published in newspaper Les...
View ArticleFree’s 4G pricing strategy criticised by French politicians
The low-price 4G tariff introduced by Free Mobile, France’s newest operator, has drawn criticism from politicians concerned it will harm investment and employment in the telecom sector.Iliad-owned Free...
View ArticleLeading French operators hit 1M 4G subs
France’s three largest mobile operators have each passed the one million mark for 4G subscribers, as they all respond to the aggressive pricing initiated by upstart Free Mobile in December, said...
View ArticleBouygues scraps European roaming fees
Bouygues Telecom, the third-largest operator in France, announced it will scrap roaming charges in Europe for calls, SMS and data.From 24 February, subscribers on its Sensation mobile packages,...
View ArticleNumericable preparing €11B SFR bid — report
French cable company Numericable is preparing a €11 billion offer for SFR, the second-largest mobile operator in France, according to Bloomberg.The news comes after SFR CEO Jean-Yves Charlier said in...
View ArticleVivendi sets deadline for SFR bids — report
Vivendi has reportedly set a deadline of Wednesday this week for any bids for SFR, its French mobile unit, with speculation that cable company Numericable and the Bouygues conglomerate are preparing...
View ArticleAltice sticks to its guns on SFR offer
Altice does not plan to change its offer for French number-two operator SFR, despite Bouygues Telecom upping its rival bid last week, The Wall Street Journal reported.SFR parent Vivendi elected to make...
View ArticleOrange CEO secures second term
Stephane Richard (pictured) secured a second four-year term as CEO of Orange, after the board of directors renewed his mandate to lead the France-based operator group.Richard has been CEO of the group...
View ArticleVodafone and SFR extend strategic partnership
Vodafone and French number-two operator SFR renewed their strategic global alliance, focusing on the development of new business opportunities in France and globally.The non-equity agreement is for...
View ArticleAmazon extends Coins availability
Amazon made its Coins virtual currency available in France, Spain and Italy, offering Amazon Appstore users in these markets 500 free Coins to promote the launch.First introduced in the US, UK and...
View ArticleOrange chief says mobile consolidation in France a matter of urgency – report
Stephane Richard (pictured), Orange CEO, stressed urgency in cutting the number of mobile network operators in France from four to three. “If something is to happen, it will happen in the coming...
View ArticleOrange hires banks for advice on Bouygues deal — report
Orange is reportedly hiring banks to examine the possibility of purchasing rival French operator Bouygues Telecom in a deal that could be worth as much as €6 billion, reports Reuters.Sources said...
View ArticleNumericable inks Virgin Mobile France deal
French cable operator Numericable signed its anticipated deal to acquire Virgin Mobile in the country, taking on the MVNO ahead of its anticipated merger with SFR.It was announced that Numericable was...
View ArticleAltice would be “natural buyer” for Bouygues in France, says CEO
France’s top cable operator Numericable, owned by Altice, would consider buying Bouygues Telecom, Altice CEO Dexter Geoi said at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecoms Conference in...
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