French fibre net additions slow to 600,000 in Q1
FRANCE 12 JUN

French fibre net additions slow to 600,000 in Q1

The number of FTTP connections across mainland France and the overseas territories reached 27.68 million at end-March, or nearly 84 percent of the fixed broadband installed base, according to telecom regulator Arcep. This represents a net increase of nearly 600,000 since end-December, down from approximately 740,000 both in the previous quarter and in the year-earlier period. The fibre take-up rate remained on a gradual upward trend, with 65 percent of end-users able to access FTTP services opting to do so,

ASN, RTsys Group announce R&D collaboration in marine projects
FRANCE 12 JUN

ASN, RTsys Group announce R&D collaboration in marine projects

Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) has signed a strategic framework agreement with RTsys Group, a France-based specialist in technology services for the marine environment, such as acoustic and electromagnetic mapping, sensor-based monitoring and autonomous robotics. The two partners will carry out R&D projects in a number of areas, including insights to support cable-laying operations and underwater drones. They will also collaborate on commercialisation activities by bringing their respective expertise to j

OVHcloud in talks to acquire AI speech-to-text start-up in France
FRANCE 12 JUN

OVHcloud in talks to acquire AI speech-to-text start-up in France

OVHcloud has announced exclusive talks to acquire Gladia, a French start-up founded in 2022 that specialises in AI-enabled speech-to-text transcription and similar audio applications. Gladia's capabilities, managed through a single API, enable clients to transcribe conversations in real time and in batch across more than 100 languages. The company serves around 2,000 enterprise customers, while also supporting more than 300,000 developers.

Orange to showcase intelligent network use cases at VivaTech
FRANCE 12 JUN

Orange to showcase intelligent network use cases at VivaTech

Orange, a founding partner of the VivaTech exhibition, has presented its programme of activities for this year's edition of the event, which will be held in Paris from 17 to 20 June. More than 60 start-ups will join the Orange stand to share their innovations. For example, visitors will be able to view demonstrations from NeuralTrust (security of AI agents), Multiverse Computing (compressed AI models) and CryptoNext Security (post-quantum cryptography).

Arcep's Future Networks panel evaluates role of quantum computing in telecoms
FRANCE 11 JUN

Arcep's Future Networks panel evaluates role of quantum computing in telecoms

French regulator Arcep has published a briefing note summarising experts' views on how quantum computing is likely to affect the telecom sector. This release is part of Arcep's Future Networks initiative, which aims to anticipate regulatory needs in the medium to long term through insights compiled by a twelve-strong scientific panel, including academics, consultants and company executives. This committee believes that the most immediate issue raised by quantum computing concerns security, including the ris

French SIMs in 2G-only devices fall to 2 mln at end-March
FRANCE 11 JUN

French SIMs in 2G-only devices fall to 2 mln at end-March

France closed March with 2 million SIMs active in 2G-only devices, down from 2.4 million at the end of 2025, according to telecom authority Arcep. The finding is part of the regulator's quarterly update on the migration away from the early generations of mobile networks. SIMs in 2G-only devices accounted for 1.5 percent of the total active base supporting voice, messaging and data services, while representing 3 percent of the M2M installed base.

France's Sosh increases price of top-tier fibre offer to EUR 28 per month
FRANCE 11 JUN

France's Sosh increases price of top-tier fibre offer to EUR 28 per month

Sosh, the no-frills brand of Orange France, has raised the monthly rate of its 'Boost' fibre package, after launching this offer at the end of April for EUR 26.99. The price for new sign-ups has now increased by EUR 1 to EUR 27.99 per month. All other aspects of this top-tier package remain unchanged and, as before, customers covered by Orange's XGS-PON network can benefit from a headline download speed of 8 Gbps, as well as a version of the latest Livebox 7 supporting Wi‑Fi 7 connectivity.

Orange France taps Nelson to electrify van fleet
FRANCE 10 JUN

Orange France taps Nelson to electrify van fleet

Orange has announced a three-year partnership with French start-up Nelson in support of ongoing electrification efforts that should see the entirety of the operator's vehicle fleet in France run on electric power by 2030. Nelson has developed a software platform that helps shape electrification strategies based on data-driven insight. Under this collaboration, Orange will rely on Nelson's expertise in digital twin modelling to guide the conversion of utility vehicles to electric power, particularly the flee

Bouygues Telecom launches OSINT-based cybersecurity analysis for B2B clients
FRANCE 9 JUN

Bouygues Telecom launches OSINT-based cybersecurity analysis for B2B clients

French operator Bouygues Telecom, through its subsidiary Bouygues Telecom Business Solution, has introduced a new cybersecurity offering developed by its dedicated team of experts in Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). Dubbed Cyber Monitor OSINT, the service will provide companies of all sizes with tailored vulnerability assessments.

Orange ends sponsorship of French Velodrome venue in Marseille
FRANCE 9 JUN

Orange ends sponsorship of French Velodrome venue in Marseille

The Velodrome football stadium in the French city of Marseille, which was renamed Orange Velodrome in 2016 under a 10-year branding agreement, is looking for a new sponsor after Orange decided not to renew the partnership. As reported by La Provence, the value of this sponsorship was estimated at EUR 2.5 million annually. The website of the venue, previously orangevelodrome.com, now redirects to velodrome-stadium.com.

Arcep to be vigilant over respect of SFR's obligations following takeover deal
FRANCE 9 JUN

Arcep to be vigilant over respect of SFR's obligations following takeover deal

French telecom authority Arcep has acknowledged the signature of the MoU concerning the planned acquisition of SFR, stating that it will pay particular attention to respect for the obligations under which SFR's infrastructure must continue to operate in terms of continuity of service, network coverage and quality of experience.

France's Axione joins data centre alliance in Sarthe department
FRANCE 8 JUN

France's Axione joins data centre alliance in Sarthe department

French infrastructure operator Axione, through its subsidiary Sartel, is taking part in a new partnership in the Sarthe department, where Sartel operates a public-initiative fibre network open to all commercial operators. Under this collaboration, the Sarthe department intends to strengthen its data centre capabilities by interconnecting its public-initiative data centre, dubbed Sartera, with the Datagrex edge data centre owned by the DRI group. The project will see Sartera host DRI's servers in highly secu

FRANCE 8 JUN

Orange France launches 'Travel' mobile plan, new roaming data add-on

Orange France has introduced a new 5G+ mobile plan targeting travellers in response to the launch of rivals' offers, 'Mega Big' and 'Max' by Bouygues Telecom and Free respectively. Dubbed 'Voyage' (Travel), the plan is marketed at a discounted monthly rate of EUR 24.99 for the first year, rising to EUR 33.99 at the end of the promotion. It includes 250 GB of data and unlimited calls within the European region and the French overseas territories. As an additional benefit, 40 GB can be used when travelling ac

FRANCE 7 JUN

Bouygues, Free, Orange sign MoU for planned acquisition of SFR

The consortium comprising Bouygues Telecom, Iliad's Free and Orange have announced the signature of an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Altice France for the planned acquisition of SFR. This follows the start of exclusive negotiations in mid‑April on a deal that values the targeted activities at EUR 20.35 billion. A consultation period will now open with the relevant employee representative bodies, in the spirit of "constructive dialogue".

FRANCE 5 JUN

Orange France launches Wi-Fi 7 extender

Orange France has expanded its equipment portfolio supporting Wi-Fi 7 connectivity with a new extender designed to improve indoor coverage. This follows the introduction of the operator's first Wi‑Fi 7 Livebox models in April 2025, which have so far been paired with a Wi-Fi 6 extender. According to the Orange website, new 'Up' and 'Max' fibre sign‑ups can now receive the newly launched Wi‑Fi 7 extender as part of their package.

FRANCE 5 JUN

CMA CGM readies acquisition of Altice France pay‑TV sports channel

French conglomerate CMA CGM, through its subsidiary CMA Media, is finalising the purchase of RMC Sport, the remaining TV channel still owned by SFR parent company Altice France following the disposal of the Altice Media business in mid‑2024. At the time, RMC Sport was excluded from the scope of the sale, which saw CMA CGM integrate all the other BFM and RMC-branded TV channels into its newly created media business line. Last year, the conglomerate's media portfolio expanded further with the acquisition of f

FRANCE 5 JUN

MWM and Google Cloud launch AI mobile app development platform

French mobile technology company MWM has partnered with Google Cloud to launch the AI Mobile Squad, a new AI-powered platform designed to automate the development of native mobile applications. The platform comprises three specialised AI agents covering product management, design and software development. According to the companies, the agents work sequentially to transform a user prompt into a production-ready native iOS and Android application.

FRANCE 4 JUN

Fransat and SFR add M6 4K channel in time for FIFA World Cup

French satellite TV operator Fransat, part of the Eutelsat group, will distribute the 4K UHD version of the M6 channel during the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will take place from 11 June to 19 July. The free-to-air DTH satellite platform will rely on Eutelsat's 5 West B satellite to broadcast the channel throughout mainland France for customers with compatible equipment. In a separate announcement, SFR has also confirmed the launch of M6 4K for its IPTV customers in time for the World Cup tournament. Thi

FRANCE 4 JUN

Bouygues Telecom introduces new 5G plan including BeIN Sports

French operator Bouygues Telecom is marking the fifteenth anniversary of its no-frills brand B&You with the launch of a new 5G plan priced at EUR 21.99 per month, which includes access to BeIN Sports. The Qatari media group is the pay-TV broadcaster of the upcoming FIFA World Cup tournament in France. As a result, new sign‑ups to the plan will be able to watch all 104 games in the competition via Bouygues' B.tv application, with two simultaneous log-ins on connected screens such as smart TVs, smartphones an

FRANCE 4 JUN

French hospital group selects Orange Business to develop AI use cases

Orange Business said that its 'Live Intelligence' SaaS platform, launched in 2024 to help clients adopt generative AI applications, has been selected by a group of public hospitals located in France's Normandy region. The hospital group (GHT Rouen Coeur de Seine) intends to develop AI use cases across the nine entities within its network, bringing benefits to 15,000 employees, from healthcare professionals to staff dedicated to administrative and technical tasks.

FRANCE 4 JUN

Mainland France 5G 3.5GHz footprint reaches 32,000 cell sites at end-May

The number of French 5G cell sites emitting a signal on 3.5 GHz frequencies increased by 261 during May to reach 32,140 as of 01 June. According to spectrum agency ANFR, 3.5 GHz sites have maintained their lead over those active on the 700 MHz and 2.1 GHz bands (30,648 and 22,565 respectively). This mainly reflects the steady focus on 3.5 GHz deployments by Orange, which remained the only network operator with more than 14,000 sites using 3.5 GHz frequencies.

FRANCE 3 JUN

France's NRJ Group selects Akamai media player powered by Bitmovin

Paris‑based NRJ Group, whose assets include radio stations under various brands and music TV channel NRJ Hits, has become the first client to adopt Akamai's AMP2 (Adaptive Media Player 2), introduced in Q4 2025 as an evolution of the original AMP. The deployment, which builds on NRJ's existing CDN partnership with Akamai, will see the French group migrate its mobile and web-based streaming operations to AMP2.

FRANCE 2 JUN

SFR taps EfficientIP to offer DNS protection to all fibre subs

French operator SFR, part of Altice France, said that new and existing fibre subscribers can now automatically benefit from a safer browsing experience, following a partnership with network automation and DNS security specialist EfficientIP. Under this collaboration, a new service dubbed 'SFR Navigation Protegee' (SFR Protected Browsing) is integrated into all of the operator's fibre offers at no extra charge.

FRANCE 2 JUN

Bpifrance, Mistral and MGX to invest in second AI campus project

Three members of the French‑Emirati consortium known as 'Campus AI' have announced plans to develop a second project at a yet-to-be-disclosed location in France. This additional AI campus is backed by the consortium's two founding partners, Bpifrance and MGX, in collaboration with French generative AI company Mistral AI, which joined 'Campus AI' a year ago. This second AI campus will require an initial investment of EUR 7.5 billion, nearly matching the budget of the first phase of the consortium's initial p

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