Orange CEO Christel Heydemann has warned that Europe relies heavily on outside players across several technology fields, while arguing that the region’s telecoms companies need greater scale to invest in essential infrastructure and negotiate with major digital firms.
Speaking in an interview for “Un Monde d’avance,” Heydemann discussed the proposed €21 billion joint acquisition of SFR by Bouygues Telecom, Iliad (Free) and Orange. The deal still requires approval from France’s Competition Authority.
Heydemann said Europe’s telecoms sector is more fragmented than those in the United States, China and India, where consolidation has left three major operators in each market. She described a shift from four French operators to three as an unavoidable question for the industry, while stressing that regulators must examine the proposal.
She said consolidation should not come at the expense of consumers, noting that affordable prices remain important. At the same time, she argued that telecoms require substantial investment in infrastructure that underpins economic activity.
Addressing concerns that the deal could lead to higher prices, Heydemann cited Orange’s 2024 merger with MasMovil in Spain. She said regulators had feared prices would rise and expert forecasts had projected an increase of 10%, but prices fell by 10% roughly two and a half to three years after the transaction.
Sources: Le Monde Économie.