France
All the latest key telecoms and digital infra insight, news and analysis from France.
Network & Infra
Into the Bleu: Orange plans major enterprise app migration
Orange Business plans to migrate 70% of its IT infrastructure to the independent cloud platform Bleu, a joint venture between Orange and Capgemini.
Financial & Performance
Iliad CEO: Telco trio’s Altice offer is ‘generous’ and only ‘global’ option
Q3 FY25 highlights: Thomas Reynaud sticks to party line on three-way bid for Altice France, while also making clear that Iliad Italy will not be sold to finance M&A in France. Updates on OpCore and Scaleway data centre ambitions, including AI Gigafactory…
Products & Services
Orange gears up for D2D messaging launch in December
Orange France has teamed with Skylo to launch Message Satellite service before the end of 2025.
Products & Services
Orange off the mark on sales of new 5G core NaaS
Valérie Cussac, CEO of Orange Wholesale International, said that the operator has signed its first 5G core network-as-a-service customer with go-live tabled for 2026, bringing it closer to achieving its telco-as-a-service vision…
Analyst Briefing
Francewatch: Bouygues and Orange keep M&A hopes alive
Analyst Briefing: Aftermath of joint bid by Bouygues, Iliad, and Orange for Altice France, and the hope that discussions will resume despite the offer’s initial rejection.
Partnerships & Alliances
Cellnex reinforces telco M&A defences with France, Italy moves
Cellnex renews access agreement with Fastweb+Vodafone and moots a potential RFI from Iliad to build new towers in France, as CEO Marco Patuano has reaffirmed that the towerco is well positioned to navigate telco consolidation…
M&A
Bouygues prepared to play waiting game for Altice France assets
Following the rejection of French telco trio’s €17bn joint offer for SFR, Bouygues Group hopes they will be able to change parent Altice’s mind over time.
M&A
Orange heads off Spanish IPO with co-owner buyout
French group secures a provisional, €4.25bn deal to buy out its fellow shareholders in Spain’s MásOrange, as it continues to pro-actively push for telco consolidation in European markets.
Analyst Briefing
Orangewatch: M&A back on agenda in France (and maybe Spain)
Latest developments in Orange ecosystem: Altice France dismantling bid; coverage of Q3 FY25 results; updates on MásOrange ownership speculation; Network X discourse on open RAN, softwarisation, AI, and sovereignty.
Financial & Performance
Equity vs debt: who blinks first in UK fibre consolidation showdown?
In-depth: While sector consolidation presents complexity for altnets seeking to evolve, challenges faced by financial backers invested through equity and loan facilities should not be underestimated.
Financial & Performance
Orange’s Heydemann keeps M&A hopes alive as talks with Altice continue
Q3 FY25: Orange Group’s CEO uses the operator’s quarterly results presentation to insist that a joint buyout by Orange and rivals is the best solution for challenged competitor SFR, despite the recent rejection of their opening offer.