Boston, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/16/2013 -- The launch of Free Mobile in Q112, along with regulatory measures such as MTR cuts, have exacerbated the pressure on operator financial performance in France. Although new customers continue to be added in the mobile and fixed-line and mobile broadband arenas, the arrival of new players has prompted a bitter price war, adding to the dynamic of price erosion witnessed across the region. These include a decline in the volume of voice and SMS services being consumed - which is not yet being offset by rising usage of non-voice services. In addition, more players are entering the converged services market; the rise of triple- and quad-play packages makes it difficult for established players to continue growing. Instead, they are focusing on extracting more value from those customers they retain.

Key Data

- Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom continued to lose market share year-on-year (y-o-y) to Q213 as newcomer Free Mobile outperforms in terms of net additions. Free's market share was up 4pps y-o-y to 9.2% in Q213.
- Cuts to mobile termination rates have added to price competition and resulted in steep declines in ARPU. Orange, SFR and Bougyues reported declines of 12-15% y-o-y to Q213.
- Growth of dedicated mobile broadband subscriptions has continued to outpace fixed growth, with subscriptions up 8.7% y-o-y to 3.524mn at the end of June 2013, according to ARCEP data.

View Full Report Details and Table of Contents

Key Trends & Developments

The pressure on operators in the mobile market following the entry of Free Mobile in Q112 has lead to operators adjusting their strategies. One aspect has been a greater emphasis on converged service packages, which have the effect of reducing churn. However operators are now taking more far reaching action. In July 2013 it was reported that SFR and Bouygues Telecom entered discussions to share key parts of their mobile network infrastructure in response to the 'profound market changes' sweeping across the telecoms sector. The companies are under pressure to resuscitate flagging core mobile service revenues amid regulatory and competitive challenges that have undermined their attempts to invest in new services, products and technology.

About Fast Market Research
Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. Representing the world's top research publishers and analysts, we provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available. Our unbiased, expert staff will help you find the right research to fit your requirements and your budget. For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at http://www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.

Browse all Fixed Networks research reports at Fast Market Research

You may also be interested in these related reports:

- Hong Kong Telecommunications Report Q4 2013
- Australia Telecommunications Report Q4 2013
- Chile Telecommunications Report Q4 2013
- Central America Telecommunications Report Q4 2013
- China Telecommunications Report Q4 2013
- Switzerland Telecommunications Report Q4 2013
- Venezuela Telecommunications Report Q4 2013
- Sri Lanka Telecommunications Report Q4 2013
- Colombia Telecommunications Report Q4 2013
- Argentina Telecommunications Report Q4 2013