France announces mobile strategy; plans fourth mobile operator
The French telecoms regulator ARCEP will soon launch a public consultation on 4G and an invitation to bid for 3G frequencies, prime minister Franois Fillon announced today.
In fact, the authority will launch a public consultation before the end of February on the conditions and terms of a joint invitation to bid for frequencies in the 2.6 GHz band and digital dividend re-allocation.
In addition, in Q1 ARCEP will invite candidates to bid for three lots of 5 MHz frequencies, one of which will be awarded to a new entrant. So, after beating around the bush for several months, the French authorities have finally decided to allow a fourth mobile player. This announcement should please ISP Free, which has long expressed its willingness to become mobile operator, while the three existing operators, Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom, had strongly opposed the entry of a new rival. The plan is to award the remaining 2.1 GHz frequencies before the end of 2009.
