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Communication / ICT in France

  • Orange eyes stake in Iranian telecom titan

    IRAN, 2016/09/12 French telecom giant Orange SA is in early talks about buying into Iran's biggest cellular network operator, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Such a transaction could make history as the initial time a Western firm has acquired a significant holding in a major Iranian company since Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear program last year in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. Orange, which is part owned by the French government, is one of several European companies that have explored the potential of getting a stake in Mobile Telecommunication Co. of Iran, or MCI, the Journal said, citing people close to the matter. Orange would need to coax financing for a transaction out of Western Banks likely to be wary of tripping over US sanctions.
  • French telecom firms Orange and Bouygues in merger talks

    FRANCE, 2016/01/06 French telecoms operators Orange and Bouygues have confirmed that they are in talks over a possible merger. In separate statements, Orange said that the talks were "preliminary" while Bouygues said that "no decisions have been taken". If the transaction did go ahead it would reduce the number of French telecoms operators to three from four. The combined group would have a near-50% share of the French mobile and fixed telecoms market.
  • Vivendi sells Maroc Tel stake to UAE operator

    FRANCE, 2013/11/08 French group Vivendi sold its stake in Maroc Telecom to the UAE's Etisalat, Vivendi said in a statement on Thursday. Vivendi will sell its 53% stake in the company. The agreement has reportedly been defined though a number of conditions are still open, inclunding its approval by watchdogs in nations where Maroc Telecom operates. Under the agreement, the UAE operator will need a Moroccan minority partner, possibly the Moroccan Deposit and Management Fund to finalize the acquisition.
  • Air France, Airtel Partnership Lifts Gabon

    FRANCE, 2013/07/19 Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), a leading telecommunications services provider with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, has signed a partnership Agreement with Air France which will enable customers to purchase flight tickets from the French airline via Airtel Money. Charles Alexis Boukinda, the Director of Airtel Money Gabon, said: “We are fully aware that a lot of our customers have hectic schedules and they don’t have time to go to travel agencies to purchase their plane tickets. Running petty errands can be time consuming. The introduction of this new payment method highlights the commitment of Airtel to finding convenient solutions for all its customers.”