On Saturday, 6 June, Arcep was informed by Bouygues Telecom, Iliad (Free) and Orange, of the signature of an agreement with Altice France to acquire its subsidiary, SFR, for a total amount of 20.35 billion euros. The Authority, which is responsible for regulating electronic communications in France, acknowledges this new step towards a possible consolidation of the market in Metropolitan France, to three carriers.
First, either the Autorité de la concurrence or the European Commission will be responsible for examining the planned merger and for deciding whether to authorise it. In either case, Arcep could be called upon by either one of these authorities, and will be required to provide an Opinion on this planned merger.
Arcep will also be required to authorise any possible sale of licences to use frequencies between mobile operators, as stipulated in this agreement.
As reiterated in its Ambition 2030 strategy, Arcep works to guarantee that digital infrastructures are available everywhere, to everyone, and for a long time to come. The Authority is thus committed to ensuring a market that functions for the benefit of users: nationwide digital coverage, competitive prices, quality of service and the development of innovative services are all part of its strategic objectives.
Arcep Chair, Laure de La Raudière, is also keen to stress that:
“Throughout the period of time that competition authorities spend examining the agreement, and the transitional period, should the merger be approved, Arcep will be especially assiduous in ensuring compliance with the obligations attached to SFR networks, which naturally remain in effect: national coverage and quality of service must be maintained to safeguard the quality of the user experience.”