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France: Regulator calls for end to network-sharing deals

By  |  January 13, 2016

Arcep wants the country’s operators to wind up their network-sharing deals, including the contentious Orange-Free Mobile agreement.

The regulator said the deal that enables Free Mobile users to roam onto Orange’s 2G and 3G network cannot be justified in the long term, however much it eased Free Mobile’s market entry.

Arcep wants the agreement to end without waiting for the existing contract to expire. For 3G, the agreement should finish between end-2018 and end-2020, it said. For the less important 2G services, the agreement should end between the beginning of 2020 and the end of 2022.

The country’s other main network-sharing deal is between SFR and Bouygues Telecom, involving 2G, 3G and 4G over a large part of France. The regulator wants to ensure the deal delivers improved coverage and quality of service claimed for it.

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