Wire · regulatory
EXCLUSIVE: Orange, Iliad, Bouygues' SFR deal faces French antitrust scrutiny
France's antitrust authority will examine Orange, Iliad and Bouygues' €20.35bn acquisition of SFR, reducing France's mobile operators from four to three; the investigation is expected to last at least 18 months.
◆ ◆ The Wire takeaway
If you supply infrastructure, backhaul, or network services to French operators, you're about to see a three-player market instead of four—and 18 months of regulatory haggling that will freeze capex budgets and customer negotiations. Orange's already signalling behavioural remedies; watch who gets locked into what to clear this deal.
◆ Coverage
1 source · 15 Jul 2026
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antitrust-reviewtelecom-m-and-amarket-consolidationregulatory-approval