Iliad launches mobile service

10/01 16:37 CET

corporate

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A shake-up in mobile phone services in France as Xavier Niel, the billionaire founder of broadband provider Iliad, launched its long-awaited mobile service.

Iliad — which trades as Free — has unveiled aggressive offers that sharply undercut rival operators’ prices.

In a six year battle Iliad has had to fight off tough lobbying from the existing providers.

In the run-up to the launch, Niel had pledged to cut mobile prices by up to one-half, arguing that France Telecom, Vivendi’s SFR, and Bouygues Telecom were charging more than operators elsewhere in Europe.

Iliad’s arrival will transform France’s 21 billion-euro mobile market, which is mature and has few growth prospects since 63 out of 65 million residents already have mobiles.

More about: France, Mobile Telephony, Telecommunication

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