There is therefore still the things to do on the French market

A small tour and then going. Naguib Sawiris will not seek to win the fourth mobile in France licence. After a lengthy discussion with Free but also Bolloré, Virgin Mobile and Numericable, businessman Egyptian a finally advised yesterday, à l' occasion d' a day of meetings with investors, that it was to land in France. Between the France and the owner of Orascom, who had tried to buy Bouygues Telecom two years ago, the flirt decidedly penalty to materialize. This via various vehicles in telecoms in Italy (Wind), Tunisia and Algeria, and owner of a cable between Algiers and the hub of Marseilles, Naguib Sawiris group but could try to develop synergies on part of the Mediterranean.

As the fourth licence, is again deprived of an alternative candidate. Two weeks of October 29, date limit for the filing of nominations, Iliad, the home of Free, for now remains the only declared suitor.

In Orascom, it puts forward technical arguments to justify this caution. The new operator, which should cover one quarter of the population with its own network after three years, will have the right to use the network of its competitors to complete its mesh.

A too risky bet

But Orascom wished that this right of way tariff be set in advance, which is not the case. In addition, he wished that Orange, Bouygues Telecom and SFR are forced to share their antenna sites while nothing in the legislation is require. The issue is crucial because riparian associations with virulence to denounce the dangers of the airwaves for the public health and often oppose the installation of new antennas. But if it takes too much delay in the deployment of its equipment, the fourth mobile operator risk to confiscate his licence.

Orascom is suspicious of the trio of motive, who said that he would not this fourth license. The Egyptian group is already in conflict in his country with France Telecom about a joint company, the mobile operator Mobinil. But do not neglect the impact of the small sentence of Nicolas Sarkozy, who said "skeptical and reserved" nor "useful" a fourth mobile license assigned to a opérateur that break the price.

Aldo Mareuse, Chief Financial Officer of Orascom Telecom, gave the "Echos" there a few days that the interest of this licence was related to the fact that the "low cost" market remained clear: "Bouygues Telecom was not see the bottom of range, unlike the usual reflex of a third incoming; He instead turned to the medium and high-end. There is therefore still the things to do on the French market. "The Egyptian group, no doubt already impressed to see that all mobile operators are French, in France he wanted to avoid the élyséennes wrath "It was a bet very risky to come to France on the fourth licence, when Orascom has a visibility on its operations in the Canada and Korea in North", for its part explains an investment banker. Beyond reasons specifically related to the France, this the fourth licence cessation also reflects the fact that the Group has other priorities. Yesterday, it announced that it would probably be candidate for a fixed licence in Egypt. Much easier for him...