France's Celeste joins Hexatrust
FRANCE 15:34

France's Celeste joins Hexatrust

Telecom and cloud operator Celeste has joined cybersecurity-focused association Hexatrust, where it will contribute to raising awareness of digital sovereignty issues among French and European decision-makers. Hexatrust brings together over 130 members with a combined workforce of 10,000 employees. Among its projects, the association has launched initiatives aimed at helping organisations meet the requirements of the EU's NIS2 directive.

Ekinops aims to restore sales growth in FY26 on new SASE, DCI products
FRANCE 13:44

Ekinops aims to restore sales growth in FY26 on new SASE, DCI products

Ekinops is targeting a return to single-figure sales growth in FY26 fuelled by initial deliveries of new data centre interconnect and SASE products, but says substantial spends planned for this year will weigh on its EBITDA margins and profitability. The company is reaffirming medium-term projections under its Bridge strategic roadmap, aiming to generate sales growth in double figures with a much higher revenue proportion, above 30 percent, coming from software and services. FY 2025 sales were impacted by d

Digital Realty to build sixth data centre in Marseille
FRANCE 09:47

Digital Realty to build sixth data centre in Marseille

Digital Realty will invest EUR 1 billion to build its sixth data centre in the Marseille metropolitan area, reports Les Echos citing Fabrice Coquio, in charge of Digital Realty France. The company has secured planning permission for a 26,000 square metre site located north of the Mediterranean city at Bouc-Bel-Air, where it intends to equip powerful server rooms designed to meet demand for AI applications. The building work for 'MRS6' should start later this year, with completion scheduled in early 2028.

Bouygues Telecom adds Netgem's Pleio TV thematic channels to IPTV platform
FRANCE 11 MRT

Bouygues Telecom adds Netgem's Pleio TV thematic channels to IPTV platform

French operator Bouygues Telecom has expanded its existing collaboration with Netgem, previously focused on the Pleio cloud gaming service, with a new distribution partnership covering an initial selection of 20 FAST (Free Ad Supported TV) channels within the Netgem Pleio TV app. All Bouygues Telecom TV customers will have access to the app, broadening their choice with thematic channels such as TV5 Monde+ Chefs and Passion Novelas. Netgem highlighted the "turnkey" nature of the service, which integrates CD

French data centre venture UltraEdge to invest EUR 400 mln in Datapole project
FRANCE 10 MRT

French data centre venture UltraEdge to invest EUR 400 mln in Datapole project

UltraEdge, the data centre venture owned by Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (70%) and Altice France (30%), is investing EUR 400 million by 2028 to strengthen its footprint, reports Zdnet citing UltraEdge CEO Fabrice Cousin. The initiative aims to create at least seven 'Datapole' clusters, which will link data centre sites in relatively close proximity into regional ecosystems serving major metropolitan areas.

Free Mobile joins French rivals in activating first 5G sites on 2.1 GHz band
FRANCE 9 MRT

Free Mobile joins French rivals in activating first 5G sites on 2.1 GHz band

Free Mobile, part of the Iliad group, has begun utilising part of its 2.1 GHz spectrum resources for 5G services, with the activation of the first 34 cell sites during February, according to French spectrum agency ANFR. In comparison, Bouygues Telecom's 5G network included 17,620 sites using the 2.1 GHz band as of 01 March, ahead of SFR with 11,831 and Orange with 2,641.

Lycamobile launches Ligue1+ promotion in France
FRANCE 4 MRT

Lycamobile launches Ligue1+ promotion in France

MVNO Lycamobile has introduced a prepaid mobile offer targeting French football fans. Priced at EUR 19.99, this 30-day 5G plan includes 200 GB of data, an unlimited call/text allowance, and a Ligue1+ pass valid on one screen. This promotional offer is available throughout March and April, during the last two full months of the current Ligue 1 season, which ends in mid-May. The plan is set to renew automatically after the first 30 days, but this configuration can be deactivated by the customer at any time.

Sopra Steria, Computacenter win AI transformation contract with French state bank CDC
FRANCE 4 MRT

Sopra Steria, Computacenter win AI transformation contract with French state bank CDC

Digital transformation experts Sopra Steria and Computacenter have joined forces to secure a framework agreement to supply a comprehensive portfolio of generative and agentic AI enablers to French state-owned banking group CDC and sister company Bpifrance. The contract is worth up to EUR 140 million over a period of up to four years. It also covers cloud GPU capabilities and SecNumCloud-certified infrastructure that meets stringent sovereignty and compliance requirements.

Free Mobile offers temporary support for customers in UAE, Oman and Qatar
FRANCE 4 MRT

Free Mobile offers temporary support for customers in UAE, Oman and Qatar

French operator Free Mobile has introduced two temporary measures to support customers affected by the conflict in the Middle East. As reported by Clubic, Free Mobile's rates for calls dialled from the UAE, Oman and Qatar have been lowered to EUR 0.22 per minute until the end of March. Additionally, customers in these three countries have been gifted 15 GB of roaming data during the current month. Both measures apply automatically across all the operator's mobile plans.

Bouygues Telecom to appeal conviction in telephony-based fraud case
FRANCE 4 MRT

Bouygues Telecom to appeal conviction in telephony-based fraud case

French operator Bouygues Telecom intends to appeal a recent ruling by a Paris court regarding a victim of telephony-based fraud, reports Quechoisir. This case is believed to be the first in France to condemn a voice service provider for breaching its obligations under the so-called Naegelen law, which mandated the introduction of a caller ID authentication framework from 25 July 2023. It centred on the claims made by a Bouygues Telecom phone customer, whose bank account was compromised after a spoofing atta

Iliad CEO says French mega data centre project held up by environmental regulations
FRANCE 3 MRT

Iliad CEO says French mega data centre project held up by environmental regulations

Thomas Reynaud, CEO of the Iliad Group, has denounced the impact of administrative formalities on a multi-billion euro data centre project unveiled in late 2025 to meet growing demand for AI applications. Iliad is investing in the facility via data centre venture OpCore, co-owned with InfraVia Capital Partners, on a site that previously housed a coal-fired power station. The project is being held back by a compulsory "four-season" assessment, Reynaud stated in an opinion piece published by Les Echos, descri

French watchdog enforces new measures to block Russian media sites
FRANCE 3 MRT

French watchdog enforces new measures to block Russian media sites

French regulator Arcom has strengthened its crackdown on Russian media entities with a new decision requesting ISPs to block 35 websites linked to outlets under EU sanctions. Alongside ISPs, domain name resolution system providers and search engines must take action to prevent access to the sites. Four streaming platforms featuring content from the targeted outlets are also covered by the decision, with a request to delist the sites.

FRANCE 2 MRT

Orange Business, Tech Mahindra enter talks on 5-year digital transformation drive

Orange Business and Tech Mahindra have entered into exclusive negotiations to forge a five-year strategic partnership covering multiple areas of collaboration, including go-to-market initiatives, outsourcing and operational processes. For Orange Business, the agreement would provide access to new markets through a go-to-market approach focused on international customers outside France. It would also involve outsourcing to Tech Mahindra a portion of Orange Business' global customer support, quote-to-bill pro

FRANCE 26 FEB

Orange to exhibit connectivity innovation at MWC

Orange will be present at this year's Mobile World Congress with a fully redesigned stand, where it will present several demonstrations around the themes of augmented networks and connectivity-enabled applications. The programme aims to showcase how the group's core expertise can underpin new services, in line with the recently unveiled 'Trust the Future' strategic plan. In particular, Orange will highlight the transformation of its networks through a platform-driven approach, supported by softwarisation, a

FRANCE 26 FEB

Bouygues Telecom targets stable EBITDA in 2026 after 1% rise in Q4

French operator Bouygues Telecom met its 2025 EBITDAaL guidance, reporting a broadly unchanged result year-on-year. The stable EBITDAaL performance is expected to continue in 2026, with virtually no contribution from La Poste Telecom activities. Sales billed to customers should also remain flat compared with 2025, while gross investments are forecast to decrease from the peak reached in recent years. In the three months to December, EBITDAaL rose 1 percent year-on-year to EUR 537 million, following a fracti

FRANCE 25 FEB

Airbus Defence and Space orders more satcom terminals from Greenerwave

Greenerwave, a French start-up specialising in steerable terminals for GEO/LEO satellites, has been awarded two contracts totalling "several million euros" for the supply of satcom equipment to Airbus Defence and Space. The latter had previously selected Greenerwave's antennas as part of a wider procurement exercise led by France's defence procurement agency (DGA). The two partners indicated that this latest announcement includes a follow-up contract within the Copernic programme managed by the DGA, under w

FRANCE 25 FEB

Vantage Data Centers to build first campus in France with Altarea

Vantage Data Centers signed a partnership with French real estate company Altarea to build an data centre campus on land owned by Altarea near Bordeaux. The project, which has already secured an energy contract for a 400MW power connection, is expected to develop one of the largest data centre sites in France. It will mark Vantage Data Centers' arrival in the country, further expanding its existing European coverage across Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

FRANCE 25 FEB

Iliad's Free inks build-to-suit deal with TDF for 2,500 new cell sites

French operator Free Mobile, part of the Iliad group, announced a build-to-suit (BTS) agreement with TDF providing for the deployment of 2,500 new cell sites. The partnership will significantly broaden TDF's mobile infrastructure footprint in France, which currently includes over 8,800 pylons, towers, and rooftop sites in operation. Free Mobile said it will remain the principal tenant for the new sites under a 20-year master service contract, adding that the deal supports its strategy of strengthening 4G/5G

FRANCE 24 FEB

France's Reglo Mobile suffers security breach exposing customer data

B2C brand Reglo Mobile, owned by SFR parent Altice France and retail group E.Leclerc, has informed its customers of a security incident linked to a breach at one of its contractors. While no passwords or card details have been stolen, the compromised data includes customers' contact details and birth dates, said the company, adding that measures to stop further disclosure have been implemented. The breach has been reported to France's data protection authority (CNIL), and a formal complaint has been filed.

FRANCE 23 FEB

Second-hand phone ownership broadly stable at 22% in France – survey

Second-hand phone ownership has remained broadly stable in France at 22 percent, reports BFM RMC citing the 2026 edition of the annual survey carried out by Kantar for device reconditioning specialist Recommerce. The proportion of respondents who have ever owned a second-hand phone has risen closer to the 50 percent mark, compared with 45 percent in January 2025. This rate now stands at 68 percent among those in the 15-18 age group, driven by parents' propensity to buy second-hand phones for children.

FRANCE 23 FEB

Nearly 2 percent of French fibre customers experience service failure monthly – Arcep

The proportion of French fibre customers experiencing at least one service failure per month stood at 1.7 percent, based on the running average of data from commercial operators across the twelve months to September 2025. The finding, which takes into account both network and equipment failure, is part of the seventh edition of the QoS (Quality of Service) report on FTTH networks compiled by telecom authority Arcep. For this indicator, the report also maps affected end-users by area, identifying hotspots wh

FRANCE 19 FEB

Orange France maintains commercial momentum in Q4 as revenues dip slightly

Orange France continued to gain mobile customers in the fourth quarter, while also posting the best FTTH net additions since Q4 2022. Retail service revenues, however, declined 0.6 percent year-on-year (-0.9% in Q3) to 2.82 billion, as ongoing growth in convergence only partly offset drops in the mobile and fixed-only segments. Revenue growth also remained negative in Wholesale operations, down 3.4 percent on a comparable basis to EUR 1.06 billion (-9.0% in Q3), while the contribution from equipment sales i

FRANCE 19 FEB

Orange meets FY targets with nearly 4% growth in underlying EBITDA

Orange met its targets for higher EBITDA and cash flow in 2025, as cost efficiency efforts helped offset flat revenues at the group. Annual revenues rose 0.9 percent on an organic basis to EUR 40.4 billion, while adjusted EBITDA after leases improved 3.8 percent on the same measure to EUR 12.5 billion. With eCapex little changed at EUR 6.2 billion, the organic cash flow rose 8.3 percent to almost EUR 3.7 billion. Adjusted net profit fell 5.7 percent to EUR 3.1 billion, and Orange confirmed a stable dividend

FRANCE 19 FEB

Orange lays out plans for growth in cash flow, dividends as capex falls in years ahead

Orange has forecast steady growth in cash flow and dividends in the years ahead, thanks to a combination of acquisitions, organic growth and savings on capex following completion of its fibre build and 5G roll-out in most of Europe. Under the new 'Trust the future' plan, organic cash flow is expected to grow from EUR 3.65 billion last year to at least EUR 4 billion in 2026 and EUR 5.2 billion in 2028. The dividend will increase accordingly, from EUR 0.75 share for 2025 to EUR 0.79 for 2026 and a minimum EUR

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Background

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